March 18, 2009
To the Honorable Members of the General Assembly and the People of the State of Illinois:
I respectfully submit to you the Fiscal Year 2010 Operating Budget, a $53 billion plan that makes difficult but responsible choices, yet maintains a commitment to our priorities during the worst fiscal period in Illinois history.
We must confront the effects of a national recession that will likely be the longest and deepest since the Great Depression. This, along with poor fiscal discipline by previous administrations, has left us in a dire financial situation.
We are not alone in this challenge. States across the country are struggling with an estimated $350 billion in budget shortfalls over this and the next two fiscal years. To address these deficits, states are turning to major cuts in priorities like education or healthcare.
In Illinois, we are facing an $11 billion deficit for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. This gap is too large to be addressed with any single measure - whether it is spending cuts, revenue increases, or federal recovery money. It calls for every type of solution. That is what this budget does. This plan makes tough decisions, while maintaining our commitment to our priorities and, more importantly, it protects our most vulnerable citizens.
This budget is framed around the three core principles: Reform, Responsibility and Recovery.
It makes major reforms by reducing spending in non-essential areas, and taking action on issues that have been neglected for too long, such as the pension system. It also guarantees tax equity in Illinois, and protects families that are unfairly affected by the current state income tax. To further help low and middle-income families and spur the economy, I also proposing a back-to-school sales tax reprieve.
Responsibility is critical in times like this, and this budget maintains our commitment to education and health care, yet calls for belt-tightening in areas throughout state government.
Finally, the state cannot begin to recover without putting people to work. At 7.9 percent, our unemployment rate is unacceptable. My budget proposal includes a $26 billion capital plan - Illinois Jobs Now! - which will support 340,000 Illinois jobs. At the same time, it will build schools, fix aging roads and bridges, improve mass transit, and invest in energy and the environment.
We can - and must - turn the state of our economy around. I believe it is not only possible to get Illinois back on the road to recovery, but make it stronger for future generations. I look forward to working with each of you to make this a reality.
Sincerely,
Pat Quinn
Governor, State of Illinois
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