Republicans praise business, blast Democrats

The good news for business is what didn't happen this year in Springfield, legislators told the Batavia Chamber of Commerce Monday.

At its annual legislative breakfast, Chamber members heard from Republican General Assembly members touting the defeat of a gross receipts tax and blasting Democratic leaders' inefficiency in a record-breaking lengthy session.

"This is really unprecedented, the level of dysfunction," said state Sen. Randy Hultgren of Winfield, who thought for a while he might not be able to attend the breakfast because the Senate might be in session.

State Sen. Chris Lauzen of Aurora said while Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he wants to help kids, he vetoed $500,000 for Waubonsee and Elgin community colleges from the state budget.

"He says he's for our kids," Lauzen said. "'I'm for our kids, but I'm going to veto out allocations to teach kids. ' "

Blagojevich vetoed those items and others so he could fund expanded health care programs for low-income residents.

State Rep. Pat Lindner of Sugar Grove said that although her projects were not vetoed, she would still vote to override the governor's veto because she felt many of the programs were worthwhile.

Legislators praised the business people in attendance for working to defeat the governor's proposed gross receipts tax, which would tax business activity regardless of profit. A symbolic vote in the House had 107 members against the tax and none in support.

"It was a very strong message that this is not the way to go," Hultgren said. "It absolutely would have shut down many, many businesses."

State Rep. Tim Schmitz of Batavia encouraged Chamber members to stay involved with state political issues.

"The bright thing that happened was the business community united," he said. "I have not seen a business community this strong, this forceful and this vocal since I was a staffer for the House of Representatives in 1989."