Suburban lawmakers react to budget speech

SPRINGFIELD - Area lawmakers generally weren't swayed by Gov. Pat Quinn's idea of a 1 percentage point tax increase to help fund education. Some questioned the seriousness of his 20-minute speech that was short on details. Others said far more work needs to be done controlling state spending before they'll consider a tax increase.

State Sen. Pamela Althoff, a McHenry Republican:

"This could very well be the worst budget ever presented to the General Assembly. It's disappointing the governor didn't even make an effort to balance the budget, or provide a way of repaying the borrowing. If this budget passes, it will not only drive us deeper in to debt, it will likely lead to a double downgrade of our state credit ratings, taking us from the second-lowest in the nation to the level of California, which is now the worst."

State Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat:

"It appears the governor gave the speech by consulting his Magic 8-ball. The future is uncertain and we need to check back later."

State Sen. John Millner, a Carol Stream Republican:

"The governor's address today failed to take on the state's fiscal crisis head on. To borrow billions more in conjunction with neglecting spending controls, this budget proposal missed the mark. We need a plan to grow jobs, pay our bills on time, reduce our debts and say 'no' to continuing digging ourselves deeper into trouble. It's time to hit the brakes and turn around, not stomp on the spending accelerator."

State Rep. Franco Coladipietro, a Bloomingdale Republican:

"At this point in time, we don't need a plan that is short on specifics. To just say that we need to create new revenue, I don't know what that means."

State Rep. Tim Schmitz, a Batavia Republican:

"A 20-minute speech for a state as big as ours with a deficit as big as ours, I did expect more details. I expected a longer conversation."

State Rep. Elaine Nektritz, a Northbrook Democrat:

"I think it's going to be difficult to close a hole that's forty percent of our budget without utilizing revenue increases and cuts and reforms."

State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican:

"One percent is not acceptable, particularly in a situation where he has not offered one reform to this broken system. ... You cannot put forth that job growth and job creation is your number one priority and then propose a tax increase that will cost us jobs, not gain us jobs."

State Rep. Keith Farnham, an Elgin Democrat:

"I think it's a beginning, not an end. Right now I'm not for a tax increase. I wouldn't vote for a tax increase. But I think this is a starting point and we're going to be looking at a lot of different options."

State Rep. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat:

"We have to pass policy measures in this state that address the fact that we have a serious credibility problem down here. What are we doing to address waste, corruption, fraud and budget mismanagement? ... We need to see the governor talk more about that in the future."