Rauner winning at hurting us
Congratulations to Rauner! He has shown local government the way to deal with the budget impasse. At present, the failure to establish a budget is costing local government state-shared revenue from motor fuel tax, use tax and enhanced 911 taxes.
Those revenues don't buy coffee and doughnuts, they pay for emergency dispatch services and street maintenance. Rauner has shown nothing but contempt for local government. He says local government has fund balances that are too high and that we need to learn how to budget better.
Too start with, he does not understand the concept of fund balance fully. The total fund balance of a local government is not the available fund balance. Questions related to fund balance and budget are best decided by those who have to pay those taxes and receive the services (get involved!). He is also going to help tax payers by freezing property taxes for 2 years. What if the communities want the services that those taxes are paying for, including: police protection, fire services, emergency medical services, street maintenance, snow plowing, emergency dispatch services, water production and distribution, sanitary and storm sewer services.
If the services are desired and determined to be at the appropriate expenditure level, then taxpayers will have to pay some how. He has unilaterally decided that he knows more about the complicated nature of service provided by local government because he is a successful business man who lives in Winnetka (the second snobbiest community in the state). I hope he is finding that he is wrong that government is easier than business.
In business, he can take his ball and go home. In government he is playing with the ball that we grant him and he only has the authority that we grant him.
Back to my original statement.
If local government has the courage, they can jump into the fray and play chicken politics with Rauner. He wants to reduce state shared revenues further. These long-standing distributions have existed since the last time the state constitution was modified in 1970. Local government officials being too polite and naive. To their credit, local government is attempting to professionally negotiate with legislators and Rauner.
Rauner took out an ad against Madigan and the Democrats related to the budget, how ridiculous! Local government needs a Donald Trump who can say ridiculous things to get people stirred up. Making ridiculous, inflammatory, uncompromising statements and taking those statements directly to the people is the way the game is played now. What I am about to suggest may sound ridiculous but think about what Rauner is doing now with his my way or the highway budget demands.
First, local government as the largest employer in the state should collect income taxes from employees but hold the income taxes from the state until the budget is adopted and state shared revenue is restored with no changes.
Second, if there are any loans due to the state from local government, set aside the resources but do not pay the state.
Third, if there are mandates in place that place a financial burden on local government, refuse to comply with those mandates.
Fourth, any state required reporting should be discontinued.
Fifth, generally refuse to cooperate with the state. The state does not have the resources to enforce such a coordinated and collective action. If this is done, we may find that we really do not need the state to tell local government what to do.
It is time for local government to start saying enough is enough.
David Clark
Libertyville