Quinn's Policies Hurt Those He Says He Wants To Help

As Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield, Gov. Quinn continues to push the false notion that an income tax increase is essential to shore up the state's budget. The "doomsday" budget Quinn laid out as being necessary unless a 50 percent income tax is passed is pure political theater. The tax increase is unnecessary and would further undermine the state's economy during an already-severe recession.

The governor's attempts to create political chaos by placing high-profile, "feel-good" programs on the chopping block is disingenuous. By failing to address the state's fundamental spending and inefficiency problems, Quinn is setting up Illinois taxpayers for even greater future fiscal disasters.

While closing the state's budget deficit won't be a painless process, and some programs should be cut, that need not mean doomsday cuts. Programs that are well-intended or sound good on paper aren't necessarily effective or even valid functions of government.

Perhaps the biggest deception in Quinn's budget gambit, however, is his claim that he is trying to protect lower-income families and children. In fact, they're the ones who will be most harmed by his tax increase.

Raising taxes on small-business owners and workers will decrease the amount of money they can spend, invest and use to hire workers.

Low-income and low-skilled workers will have to pay more in taxes and will typically be the first laid off when businesses have to cut costs.

Taking even more money out of the private sector, where it could be used to prevent job cuts, and instead, putting it into Illinois' bureaucratic money pit, is a blueprint for disaster.

As evidenced by the overwhelming initial defeat of his income tax increase, Quinn is clearly out of touch with Illinois taxpayers.
Much of that distrust can be traced to the fact that there hasn't been much to show over the years for our tax dollars.

According to a recent Illinois Policy Institute study, per-capita government spending in the state has grown 45 percent in the past decade. Does anyone believe Illinoisans receive 45 percent better government today than we did 10 years ago?

The Heartland Institute, Illinois Policy Institute and Civic Federation have each come out with far more fiscally sound road maps for balancing Illinois' budget than the governor's proposal. Some of their suggestions include reforming the overly generous yet vastly underfunded public pension system, eliminating unnecessary government jobs and outsourcing others, and cutting myriad "economic development" schemes, such as our million-dollar subsidies to the film industry.

The state also should create a comprehensive online transparency database and establish an independent auditing commission to help hold government programs and officials more accountable while reducing wasteful spending and fraud.

Unfortunately, Quinn continues to resist and ignore any and all alternatives to his job-killing, recession-aggravating income tax increase.

Neighboring states such as Indiana already have much more attractive tax climates and will continue to attract businesses and jobs that could otherwise come to Illinois.

Until Illinois lawmakers begin implementing policies that encourage greater investment in the private sector instead of the government, the state's economy will continue to deteriorate.

John Nothdurft is a legislative specialist for the Heartland Institute.

This op-ed was originally published in the Chicago Sun-Times.