Quinn Spokesperson Wrong About Budget Cuts
The Institute responds to an interview Quinn spokesperson Kelly Kraft gave Illinois Statehouse News.
Following the Senate Republicans press conference Thursday, Illinois Statehouse News released an interview with the governors budget spokesperson, Kelly Kraft. In her interview, Kelly paints a doomsday picture of what Illinois would be like after cutting $6 billion from the budget.
Kelly states the governor has already made dramatic budget cuts, but we know thats not true. The budget introduced in February by Gov. Quinn actually increased spending by $1.7 billion, which we predict would put Illinois behind on its bills by another $15 billion by the end of the decade.
Thats why this week we released Budget Solutions 2012, a balanced, line-by-line alternative to the governors budget. Budget Solutions 2012 includes innovative proposals that would reduce government spending but improve services.
Heres some key ideas from Budget Solutions that are articulated in the video:
1) Don’t cut hospital reimbursement rates for Medicaid. Instead, transform Medicaid into a premium assistance program. This will offer patients greater access to care at a lower cost to the state.
2) Let’s start focusing our education policy on results, not dollars. In Florida, the average cost per student is $1,000 less than in Illinois, yet students in Florida perform much better than Illinois academically. Let’s adopt the policies that work in Florida and elsewhere, and save taxpayers money by spending $350 less per student.
3) This year more than 300 programs will receive line item funding of $5 million or less. This shouldn’t be automatic money, especially when residents need tax relief. We suggest Competitive Grant Funding. Every year these 300-some outlets apply for money, and the best programs receive money from a pool of $150 million.