Quinn not making the tough decisions

Gov. Quinn's reform, responsibility and recovery budget plan is to raise individual and corporate taxes by $4.3 billion and use $1.8 billion dollars of federal stimulus dollars to increase fiscal year 2010 revenue by $6.1 billion, or 15.6 percent.

The federal stimulus dollars may not be available in future years. Gov. Quinn's proposed spending decrease of $3.6 billion consists of a pension funding decrease of $2.3 billion and all other spending decreases of $1.3 billion.

On Jan. 7, the state sold $3.5 billion of five-year pension obligation notes. The issuance of pension obligation notes of $3.5 billion that must be repaid in five years; a decrease in pension funding of $2.3 billion in fiscal year 2010 is not reform and responsibility. The other spending decreases of $1.3 billion proposed by Gov. Quinn represent only a 3.8 percent decrease in fiscal year 2010 expenditures of $34.3 billion dollars.

Gov. Quinn talks of protecting families in these tough economic times by reducing the Medicaid payment cycle to 30 days from the current 90-plus days. In reality, the source of funds to reduce the Medicaid payment cycle is federal stimulus money that requires accountability to the federal government, not to the taxpayers in Illinois.

Gov. Quinn touts new investment in education of $800 million in fiscal year 2009 and $1.2 billion dollars in fiscal year 2010. He proposes an increase of $174 million for K-12 education and $40 million for higher education in fiscal year 2010. He does not indicate what happens to the remaining $1.8 billion dollars.

On pension reform, he wants to make some changes to retirement dates, final pay calculations and the cost of living factor and employee contributions. However, he fails to make the tough, responsible choice to terminate the pension plans and change to 401(k) savings plans, like industry.

Joseph Snyder

Wheaton