Quinn's Budget Preview: More Cuts Than a Barber Shop

Aides are tight lipped about tax hike proposal.

A few details of Gov. Pat Quinn's 2010 budget were described by top aides in advance of his Wednesday address.

Among them: spending cuts, job cuts and social program cuts.  All slated to help shore up a $13 billion budget deficit in the coming fiscal year.

But missing was a tax increase. 

"He's not included a tax increase in this budget and that's a conversation that has to happen," said his chief of staff, Jerome termer.

[Fiscal Year 2011 Budget (.pdf)Budget.Illinois.gov]

Instead, the budget proposal addresses the deficit by cutting expenses by $2 billion, borrowing $4.7 billion to pay old bills and letting about $6 billion in new bills pile up for another year.

Quinn tipped his hand last month when he previewed a call to axe $2 billion from the budget. One aide said Monday the up to 17,000 teachers are likely to lose their jobs as part of the housecleaning.  Education funding alone could be slashed by $1.3 million.

State employees would have to take unpaid days off, saving $200 million. Prescription drug benefits for the elderly would be cut in half, saving $70 million.

Meanwhile, Quinn's asked taxpayers across the state to suggest ways to stabilize the budget.

Some of the 1,200+ ideas: legalize marijuana and buy lottery tickets.

Last year, Quinn proposed raising the basic tax level by 50 percent. That failed in the Legislature and lawmakers show little interest in discussing the idea again during an election year.

More recently on Monday, Quinn announced he'd examine more than 250 government contracts issued by his predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, to determine whether they should be rebid.

Meanwhile, challenger Bill Brady plans on making taxes an election issue.

A central theme of Brady's campaign is his insistence that Illinois can fix its overwhelming budget problems without an income tax increase. He'll lay out his budget proposal for lawmakers Wednesday in Springfield, after the governor makes his appeal.

Quinn's Plan, Agency by Agency:

AGING
_ FY2010: $745.2 million
_ FY2011: $703.1 million
_ Difference: down 5.6 percent
AGRICULTURE
_ FY2010: $104.5 million
_ FY2011: $97.6
_ Difference: down 6.6 percent
BOARD OF EDUCATION
_ FY2010: $11 billion
_ FY2011: $9.9 billion
_ Difference: down 10.3 percent
CENTRAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES
_ FY2010: $1.08 billion
_ FY2011: $1.06 billion
_ Difference: down 1.5 percent
CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
_ FY2010: $1.41 billion
_ FY2011: $1.44 billion
_ Difference: up 1.9 percent
COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
_ FY2010: $2.7 billion
_ FY2011: $2.4 billion
_ Difference: down 10.5 percent
CORRECTIONS
_ FY2010: $1.28 billion
_ FY2011: $1.31 billion
_ Difference: up 2 percent
HIGHER EDUCATION
_ FY2010: $2.7 billion
_ FY2011: $2.6 billion
_ Difference: down 2.5 percent
HUMAN SERVICES
_ FY2010: $6.2 million
_ FY2011: $6.3 million
_ Difference: up 2 percent
HEALTHCARE AND FAMILY SERVICES
_ FY2010: $18.5 billion
_ FY2011: $18.9 billion
_ Difference: up 2.1 percent
PUBLIC HEALTH
_ FY2010: $489.4 million
_ FY2011: $478.5 million
_ Difference: down 2.2 percent
REVENUE
_ FY2010: $1.4 billion
_ FY2011: $1.2 billion
_ Difference: down 13.3 percent
STATE POLICE
_ FY2010: $417.1 million
_ FY2011: $359 million
_ Difference: down 13.9 percent
TRANSPORTATION
_ FY2010: $2.5 billion
_ FY2011: $2.5 billion
_ Difference: 0 percent
VETERANS AFFAIRS
_ FY2010: $117.9 million
_ FY2011: $121.1 million
_ Difference: up 2.8 percent.
 

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