A Tale of Two Speeches

Madison and Springfield less than 300 miles apart, yet they couldn't be more different in their approaches to governing.

by Mark Cavers

Two weeks ago, Governor Quinn gave his budget address and introduced his fiscal year 2012 budget. It has since been widely criticized by media, the public and members of the General Assembly for ignoring the real challenges we face. Yesterday, Governor Scott Walker gave his budget address outlining his plans for Wisconsin over the next two years.

Madison and Springfield, only 270 miles apart but galaxies away in governing policies.

Action Oriented

Governor Quinn called for four new commissions and councils to explore consolidating school districts, innovation, changing the tax code, and to look for state cuts. This is the same Governor who created a taxpayer action board then ignored their recommendations.

While Governor Quinn is considering appointing state employees to look into government spending, Governor Walker is taking action; he calls for $4.2 billion in spending cuts, no commissions, no wasting time, no redundant investigations. This pattern repeats itself across a number of issues.

Education

In Governor Walker’s address he recommits to the goal of having every third grader read at the third grade level. He gives tangible steps on how he plans on getting there: “expand choice and charter programs to insure every kid gets a great education.” Governor Walker will lift the cap on the number of students who can participate in school choice programs, end the income eligibility limits, and allow the University of Wisconsin to launch a charter school.

In Governor Quinn’s address he calls for abolishing the legislative scholarship program (A move we applaud) but beyond that he doesn’t say much. He says we don’t want any “state to out-educate Illinois”, and that we need to “prepare our children.” Minority communities routinely see 50% dropout rates in high schools, 14,000 children are on waiting lists for charter schools. Kids need opportunities, today, the governor ignores the crisis in our education system by not calling for an immediate overhaul of a system that is broken. From vouchers, to digital learning, to teacher tenure reform, the entire education system needs to be reformed. And today, before another class of students are condemned to a future of crime and poverty because we chose the interests of adults over the interest of kids.

Private Sector vs. Public Sector

Governor Walker calls for the private sector to create 250,000 jobs and he sees government’s role as helping create the environment where this can happen by freeing taxpayers to create jobs, limiting the size of government, and focusing government on core priorities.

Governor Quinn presents a very different view of job creation, one with government at the center, driving economic growth and jobs. Governor Quinn points to public investments and tax credits in companies like Ford, Chrysler, and Navistar. He calls for investment in green technologies and in the employer training investment program. All using funds from the largest tax hike in history, which takes this money directly out of the pockets of working citizens.

Public Employee Pay

Governor Quinn largely ignores state employee pay, benefits, and pensions which are the major drivers of state spending. To make matters worse, Governor Quinn aims to increase the state workforce by 945 employees.

Governor Walker’s actions on this front speak louder then words ever could. The Governor has called on public employees to contribute 12% of their healthcare benefits (average private contribution is 20%), and 5% of their pensions benefits.

Transportation

Governor Walker plans to invest $5.7 million in Wisconsin’s critical infrastructure, focusing money on highway construction and rehabilitation including the I-94 Corridor and the Zoo interchange.

Governor Quinn focuses on the promise of high-speed rail (some governors would call this the candy of politics), he champions the record 2 million riders on Amtrak last year while ignoring the tens of millions who use Illinois’s roads every year. He speaks of his Illinois Jobs Now program, conveniently leaving out that its funding source is being reviewed for constitutionality by the Illinois’s Supreme Court.

Restraint and Stability

Governor Quinn championed his “historic caps on state spending”  and calls for restraining spending and eliminating unnecessary spending. His actual budget proposal ignores these things and takes a drastic turn towards more unsustainable spending. Rather then actually dealing with spending, the Governor calls for $8.7 billion in borrowing to finance unaffordable state spending. The Governor’s historic spending cap allows him to push for $1.7 billion (5%) in increased spending this year alone without even coming close to crossing the “cap”. Only here could increasing spending by $1.7 billion be passed off as restraining spending. Finally, with regards to eliminating unnecessary spending: The Illinois Arts Council sees its budget increase by 17%, and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity sees a 55% increase in state funds.

Governor Walker calls for spending reductions of $4.2 billion, and decreases the structural deficit from $2.5 billion to $250 million. Enough said.

Despite sharing 150 miles of boarder, Illinois’s and Wisconsin’s governors could not be farther apart in their respective approaches to building a better future.

Next Tuesday, the Illinois Policy Institute will host a press conference for the release our alternative budget: Budget Solutions 2012, a real budget that is balanced without record tax increases or borrowing. If you would like a sneak peak click here