State Senator Jason Plummer (Edwardsville) released the following statement regarding JB Pritzker’s annual budget address on February 15th:
“I think state spending can be judged by three criteria: transparency, discipline, and priorities.
“The Governor has gone to great length to avoid transparency in his administration in many ways, and how it spends the taxpayers’ money is no different. His administration has consistently had record spending levels, largely based on federal money and other one-time revenues. Those revenues are disappearing, yet budget-busting spending continues, showing a complete lack of discipline. It is also a real missed opportunity to fix some of the underlying issues impacting our status as a state in terrible fiscal condition. While funding has been increased nearly across the board, we are still seeing constant issues with the agencies tasked with caring for our most vulnerable citizens, which means the money is not being prioritized where it is needed most. We have a moral obligation to do better.
“I would like to be able to tell people that Illinois is turning a corner with how it spends the people’s money, but the reality is that our governor continues to prioritize his political ambitions and political allies above the wants and needs of everyday Illinoisans. Hardworking Illinois families and businesses want realistic, practical solutions and less politics. We need to fix our structural issues and address critical needs, not more pork and wasteful spending that achieves little more than headlines, while putting Illinois further and further behind better managed states.”