This Is a Joke, Right?

Let's see. The budget supposedly has a $11 billion deficit and its predecessor is getting an award.

Here's the citation below the award:

“The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)presented a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to the State of Illinois, for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008 (fiscal year 2009). According to GFOA, this award “reflects the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting.

"In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well the entity’s budget serves as a policy document, as an operations guide, as a financial plan, and as a communications device.

“The Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program, established in 1984, recognizes exemplary budget documentation by state, provincial and local governments, as well as public universities and colleges. Entities participating in the program submit copies of their operating budgets for review. Each budget document is evaluated using a comprehensive evaluation checklist and those judged proficient receive the award.

“We are very pleased to have received this national recognition. We believe our current budget continues to conform to program requirements, and we are submitting it to GFOA to determine its eligibility for another award.”

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REWRITE THE STATE BUDGET!

by John Bambenek and Adam Andrzejewski

At an education policy conference, from the podium an Illinois state representative says, “we need your help…we [elected state reps] are clueless!”

Springfield needs our help now, the clarion call cannot be more clear…$2 billion of unpaid bills; worst pension debt in the nation; a total state debt of $110 billion; years of functionally unbalanced budgets; a Governor instituted, multi-million dollar, unconstitutional extension of the FamilyCare health insurance program; an Auditor General report stating that the state agencies can’t even quantify the number of state programs they run or how much they spend; $2 billion of 2008 undocumented Democratic member initiatives with the accompanying Judicial Watch lawsuit; increasing their own legislative pay 16.9% in the last 16 months!


Despite having record incoming revenues, Springfield is in economic chaos. And yet, Springfield is threatening us with unprecedented across the board tax increases and in a time of severe economic downturn.

The people in Illinois have an obligation to lead. Let’s show the leaders that the citizens can produce a state budget that cuts total state spending 10% while not cutting any monies from education, and health and human services, while fully funding the pensions. Is it possible to write a state budget that eliminates wasteful spending? Is it possible to write a state budget that serves the people of Illinois and also remains within economic parameters? Can we write a budget that alleviates the severe tax strain on hard-working Illinois families?

Let’s write a state budget that does not require an increase in the state income tax! All the conversation in Springfield always centers on additional revenue sources. Let’s create the focus on the other side of the balance sheet, the spending side. And, there certainly should be the fiscal room for discussion- According to John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute on Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, while the population of Illinois since 1990 has increased 12%, the state spending has increased 44% on an inflation adjusted basis!

Elected leaders say the only way to solve our problems is a draconian across-the-board tax increase or catastrophic cuts to essential human services. Let's show them it’s possible to craft a budget that makes sense for all of Illinois. Consider this an open invitation for citizen involvement. We live the problems of Illinois, we think about solutions, and this is our opportunity to be a part of the process. Use your personal knowledge and experience to create a Citizen Budget that we can take to Springfield. Let’s fight off the attempt to increase our personal income taxes.

In the current media milieu, fiscal conservatives are often portrayed as a cranky bunch always complaining about something. The reality is that conservatives are innovative, entrepreneurial and problem solvers. The Illinois donkey’s and elephant’s have all but said they cannot solve the budget problem of their own creation. Fiscal conservatives ought to take this opportunity to reclaim their position of crafting policy to foster the spirit of American excellence before others craft policies to squelch it.

Consider this exercise the open source problem solving equivalent to establishing Wikipedia for Illinois state government. Let’s use our energy constructively… and solve an impossible problem. Let’s show the political class that the impossible is achievable.
Now… Let’s get to work!

To help contact either John Bambenek at jcb@illinoiscitizenscoalition.com or Adam Andrzejewski at adam@forthegoodofillinois.org.

State budget in a single PDF:

http://www.state.il.us/budget/FY%202009%20Operating%20Budget%20Book%20v2.pdf

Capital budget:
http://www.state.il.us/budget/FY%202009%20Capital%20Budget%20Book%20v2.pdf

About the backlog:

http://www.sj-r.com/news/x1772946400/Hynes-urges-quick-action-on-overdue-bill-crisis

About the $2 bil lawsuit:

http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2008/jul/judicial-watch-files-open-records-lawsuit-against-illinois-governor-and-illinois-state

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