illinoisreview

Obama at home with highest sales tax in U.S.

"As of today Chicago has highest sales tax in the nation," the IL GOP writes today.  "Fight for increase led by Obama's pick for Cook County Board President..." 

And the IL GOP makes some great points on Barack Obama's hometown's latest development:

CHICAGO - The Illinois Republican Party today is asking the American people to take a glimpse into what America will be like under a Barack Obama presidency, as Chicago today claims the highest sales tax in the country.

Public policy groups calls governor's budget "cuts" more political theatre

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Policy Institute, a non-partisan liberty based public policy organization, has called on the Governor to end the political theatre and get serious about eliminating wasteful, unnecessary spending from the budget. The Governor's proposed cuts are directed more at political opponents than protecting the taxpayers of Illinois. According to the State Comptroller's office, state revenue has increased by nearly $5.5 billion (5.5% per year) from 2003-2007. Illinois has been receiving record revenues for years, and to call this budget battle a crisis is not just inaccurate but misleading to the taxpayers.

IL's Rodney Dangerfield: Auditor General gets no respect

Illinois has its own political Rodney Dangerfield who gets no respect.  Could someone explain why Auditor General William Holland is easily the most ignored lone voice in Illinois' political barrenland?  Almost monthly, poor Holland reports to lawmakers and the people of Illinois how bad off our state is financially, and no one, no one, listens to him.  What's with DFHS "understating" tax revenue by $600 million in yesterday's report? 

Auditor General William Holland's office on Wednesday found 15 problem areas in its annual review of the state Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Holland says the department was months behind in reporting its financial statements for last year, and what it did report had some serious flaws — including an understating of tax revenue by $600 million.

Link: :: TheSouthern.com - Southern Illinois' Homepage ::.

College of DuPage Passes "Open Book" test

Now posts check register on school website

By Adam Andrzejewski, adam@forthegoodofillinois.org

The 930,000 citizens residing in the 39 communities of DuPage County can now “Google” to see how their portion of property tax dollars is funding their community college.  The College of DuPage (COD), the largest single-campus community college in the Midwest, has an annual budget of nearly $140 million.  Establishing a model for openness and transparency in regards to financial information, COD has made itself the largest Illinois education institution to post its check register online. 

Cook County candidate calls for sunshine on budget

SCHAUMBURG -- Voters in the northern Cook County state rep district should know that the "sucking sound from the east" they're hearing these days are hard-earned tax dollars leaving their 56th House District and heading straight into Chicago Democrats' pockets, former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger said today.

Much of the angst Rauschenberger and GOP candidate Anita Forte-Scott expressed was pointed to State Rep. Paul Froehlich, who was first elected state rep as a Republican, but who changed parties last year.

"This district's state rep has become a Cook County Democrat.  When he did, he became as responsible for our high taxes and misspent money just as much as the other Chicago Democrats, including [Cook County Board President] Todd Stroger, [House Speaker] Mike Madigan, [Senate President] Emil Jones and the Governor himself," Rauschenberger said today outside Forte-Scott's Schaumburg campaign office.

Wanted: Fiscally responsible politicians

Couldn't pass up a chance to promote two of Illinois' all-round good guys in one fell swoop  -- Tribune's Dennis Byrne, who takes Republicans to task today, and Illinois Policy Institute's Greg Blankenship, who's been busy scouring the Illinois budget for pork -- and has published his findings in their 2008 Illinois Piglet Book. 

Someone listen to these guys, please?

GOP Candidate Senger calls for 3 day budget browse

NAPERVILLE -- While Springfield Democrats work through budget disagreements during the last days of the regularly-scheduled legislative session, Republican legislative candidates are challenging Democrats to open up the budget process.

Tuesday morning, from her Naperville campaign office, Republican state representative candidate Darlene Senger called on Democrats to give the public three days between presenting the state budget and voting on it in the General Assembly.

Democrats' ongoing practice of keeping budget proposals secret from Republican lawmakers and the public angered GOP House members last week and resulted in all State House appropriations bills passing along party lines.

Senger, hoping to succeed retiring State Rep Joe Dunn (R-Naperville), said she was appalled to learn the way the Democrats handle the state's budget.

State budget update: this week last chance for normal summer

The Southern has a good report on where the state budget negotiations are now that the House went home on Thursday and the Senate on Friday.  If the budget's not settled on by next Friday, we will enter another grueling, long hot summer.  There is no indication the Governor will accept what's been proposed and the two different versions will be negotiated by the Democrats over the weekend.

From the Southern:

Illinois Budget Shenanigans Begin

Illinois Democratic lawmakers, driven to distraction by party in-fighting, are flaunting their majority status during the closing days of this session, delirious as they purposely block out Republican lawmakers. 

On Wednesday, House Democrats passed 28 appropriations bills to the Senate -- a flatline budget keeping everything the same as this year, and another, their dream budget. Not one of those bills received a Republican vote. The Republicans held together in opposition for two reasons: the proposed bills made up an unconstitutional unbalanced budget and the Democrats did not invite the Republicans to budget negotiations.

Thursday, the Democrats' budget follies moved to the Senate, where during crucial appropriation bills' discussion, Republicans were cut off from asking questions. The Daily Herald reports Republican Revenue committee members Bill Brady, Chris Lauzen, Carole Pankau and Matt Murphy walked out of the committee hearing in protest.

Democrats do not need Republican cooperation or votes to move legislation in the Senate, where Democrats hold a 3/5 majority. After May 31, Republican votes will be needed in the other chamber to pass legislation, as Speaker Mike Madigan's Democrats do not hold a 3/5 majority in the House.

How do we dismiss this? Let us count the ways

So many problems with this capital bill solution . . . see if you can find the ones we see:

Two former Illinois congressmen proposed a revamped $31 billion construction program, as time ticks down and lawmakers' doubts grow about whether they can break a long-running stalemate this spring. Dennis Hastert and Glenn Poshard put their political weight behind a proposal for roads, schools and other needs paid for by a mix of expanding gambling, selling the state Lottery and using excess tax revenues from soaring gasoline prices.

Read on or listen to the whole piece here: WGN Radio - $31 Billion Capital Plan Proposed {audio}.