Ill. voters say no to taxes in new poll

SPRINGFIELD - A new poll of Illinois voters finds support for balancing the state budget through cuts rather than tax increases, just so long as the things voters support aren't on the chopping block.

And that favorites list includes school funding, police and prisons, state parks, help for the needy and a litany of other big-ticket programs that make up the overwhelming majority of state spending.

The head of the Southern Illinois University think tank that commissioned the statewide poll said the findings show people are uninformed about state finances and unable to grasp the depths of budget problems.

"The public really has no idea what the scale and the scope of this crisis is," said Mike Lawrence, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

There was no consensus among those polled for what or where to cut, though many cited state officials' salaries.

"Few people would argue that we should not eliminate waste or retool programs that don't work. But the kind of perspective we need is this: You could reduce spending on the legislature to nothing - chop away $50 million - and still not come anywhere near solving our budget problem," said Lawrence, a former reporter and top aide to former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar.

The budget lawmakers sent to Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich this year was nearly $2 billion out of whack and the governor responded with layoffs and cuts to social service agencies such as drug treatment centers and plans to close two dozen state parks and historic sites.

Lawrence blamed the state's financial woes on politicians taking populist, but not responsible, stances on financial matters and the downplaying of state government news in the media.

"There's no painless way out," he said. "There are few gimmicks left."