Senators from both parties tried in vain Tuesday to get answers about Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan for the next Illinois budget, with one saying he was insulted by the lack of information from the governor’s office.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Senators from both parties tried in vain Tuesday to get answers about Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan for the next Illinois budget, with one saying he was insulted by the lack of information from the governor’s office. Quinn is scheduled to release his budget proposal next Wednesday. It should spell out how he wants to spend money from the state’s tax increase and what programs he thinks should be cut to stay under new caps on spending. Members of two Senate appropriations committees wanted some details about the governor’s plans during a hearing with officials from Quinn’s budget office. But the governor’s budget director, David Vaught, didn’t show up for the hearing — he sent a top aide instead. Malcolm Weems sat quietly as senator after senator expressed disappointment over Vaught’s absence, then offered only vague answers to frustrated legislators. When asked whether funding for human services could be cut during the last four months of the current budget year, Weems responded: "There has been no decision on any of that." Would Quinn propose human service cuts for the upcoming budget? "There is a wide array of different scenarios we are discussing," he replied. Could the governor back up his claim of cutting spending by $3 billion in past years? "I can give you some examples of cuts," Weems said, offering about $250 million worth. Sen. William Delgado, D-Chicago, complained about a summary of the budget outlook for the next three years that divides spending into categories like "Protecting the vulnerable among us" and "Improving quality of life for citizens." "I’m insulted," Delgado said, calling the document’s information as squishy as an amoeba. Despite an income tax increase that should generate about $6.8 billion next year, state government faces serious budget troubles. The additional money won’t entirely balance the state’s income and expenses. Rising costs for pensions, employee insurance and health care for the poor will absorb natural revenue growth. And on top of that, the state owes roughly $8.7 billion in overdue bills. This means Quinn probably will have to call for severe cuts in some government programs when the Chicago Democrat delivers his budget address. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
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