BY MIKE CETERA
I imagine that all the agency heads that had to plead their cases to the state last year are none too happy about having to put on a repeat performance, knowing their cries for money could get twisted into the state's dysfunctional budget game again.
The circus once again is coming to Aurora.
The budget hearing next Tuesday is, according to House Speaker Mike Madigan's office, "designed to give community leaders, business owners, labor officials, service providers, advocacy organizations, health care facilities, school districts, colleges and local residents an opportunity to share their views about state funding priorities, ways to reduce costs and means to improve government efficiency."
Knowing that this year's local hearing could produce the same results as last year's -- close to nothing -- what should the state's priorities be?
State Sen. Chris Lauzen is spitting into the wind as much as these agency heads are. But he's got it right when it comes to a state that's in a budgetary mess:
We want to move Illinois forward. My constituents are tired of the petty bickering among one-party leadership. Here are some suggestions:-- Fulfill existing obligations before new commitments are made, and pay our bills on time. Recognize that our deficit is due to over-spending rather than under-taxing; income-tax revenue has grown 35 percent and sales tax by 18 percent between fiscal years 2003 and 2007.
-- Set priorities for a strong economy and sound education. When people ask, "What about health care and corrections?" I suggest that people working jobs all day are too tired to beat up somebody or steal from them, and too excited about their own future to hurt anybody else. And, those high-paying manufacturing jobs we lose, 90 percent of them cover their employees for health care without government interference.
-- Stop misappropriating $650 million (!) each year in gas taxes that by law are meant to fix our potholed roads and crumbling bridges. Incredibly, this huge amount is diverted to general budget spending rather than construction and repair. The attorney general should insist that we follow the gas-tax laws.
The people that have an interest in getting the state to cough up tax money will, of course, show up next week. But be wary, folks, it's all just a PR campaign.
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