If Representative Tryon can Scale Back Expenses by 10% in McHenry County, Why Can't Governor Quinn do the Same in Springfield?
If Illinois is ever to become a financially-stable state, it is imperative that the current spending culture in Springfield change.
For the past year and a half, Governor Quinn has been pushing for residents to pay more in higher taxes for state services and programs. And while employers and caregivers to our most vulnerable populations are now waiting nearly six months for reimbursement from the state, Governor Pat Quinn has been doling out hefty pay raises to his staff. I'm sure you read recently with disbelief (as I did) that 30 of Governor Quinn's staff members are set to receive as much as 20 percent pay increases this year. These outrageous pay increases aren't limited to Governor Quinn's 30 top staff members. Of the the 124 employees directly employed by Governor Quinn, the overall average pay increase for these employees is 11%. This makes me angry. Doesn't it make you angry?
These raises are taking place at the same time that Illinois continues to fall further behind in its ability to pay its bills and when budget cuts are being made in the areas of school, municipal and social service agency funding.
Quinn's actions are an insult to every individual who pays taxes and are a clear example of exactly what is wrong with the current leadership in Springfield. Furthermore, his actions demonstrate clearly that Governor Quinn just doesn't get it. While he cuts funding for human services programs, public safety, and higher education, he has given over $330 million in pay raises for other state union bureaucrats and now we learn he has given up to 20 percent raises to 30 of his top staff members. If this was a sincere effort by Governor Quinn to reduce state spending he would have reduced the budget and never have given out these extravagant pay raises at a time when families across Illinois are making sacrifices in order to live within their means.
This type of ongoing fiscal mismanagement during an economic recession is simply irresponsible. The fact of the matter is, the economy is contracting while State government under Governor Quinn and House Speaker Mike Madigan continues to expand.
In McHenry County, Senator Pamela Althoff and I are taking steps to spend less during this economic recession. For example, Senator Althoff and I share office space in an effort to keep costs down. We have decreased our office expenditures not only through sharing rent and utility costs, but also through sharing staff and reducing the amount of supplies we purchase for our office. Through wise and prudent spending practices, Senator Althoff and I are able to return each year an unused portion of our individual office budget allocations. For the fiscal year that just ended, I gave just over 10% of my office budget back to the State of Illinois.
Additionally, Senator Althoff and I each accepted a decrease in pay last year through furlough days. The number of furlough days will increase this fiscal year, which will result in an even greater decrease in pay. We do this because it is the right thing to do and we do this at the same time that the State of Illinois has not provided stipends for district office rent and utilities since November of 2009.
We in McHenry County are spending less in an effort to help the State's financial crisis. To hear our Governor talk about "shared sacrifice" and then to watch him turn around and give hefty raises to his staff is offensive. His "do as I say and not as I do" style of leadership will never help make Illinois a financially-stable state. It will only drive Illinois further into debt and closer to bankruptcy. |
