Four years of Quinn – higher taxes, bigger debts and no sign of change
As Gov. Pat Quinn delivers his fifth annual budget proposal today, it’s important to review the governor’s track record and what his policies have meant for Illinois. When Quinn took office in 2009, Illinois was reeling from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his culture of deficits and corruption. The state’s fiscal condition was a shaky...
As Gov. Pat Quinn delivers his fifth annual budget proposal today, it’s important to review the governor’s track record and what his policies have meant for Illinois.
When Quinn took office in 2009, Illinois was reeling from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his culture of deficits and corruption. The state’s fiscal condition was a shaky at best. And state leadership was ignoring the structural reforms that an Illinois turnaround depended on.
Quinn had the opportunity to provide the fiscally responsible and moral leadership that Illinois so desperately needed.
But Quinn failed to embrace that opportunity. Instead the governor chose to ramp up spending and increase taxes. Illinois suffered greatly from his approach.
The following statistics compare Illinois in 2009 with today:
- Illinois’ unemployment rate compared with neighboring states:
- January 2009: 8 percent in Illinois
- January 2009: 8 percent in neighboring states
- December 2012: 8.6 percent in Illinois
- December 2012: 7 percent in neighboring states
- Illinois’ income tax rate:
- 2009: 3 percent
- 2013: 5 percent
- Overall increase: 67 percent
- Illinois’ corporate income tax rate:
- 2009: 4.8 percent
- 2013: 7 percent
- Overall increase: 46 percent
- Illinois’ unpaid bills:
- 2009: $3.95 billion
- 2011: $9.7 billion from
- Overall increase: 146 percent
- The number of entrepreneurs per 100,000 people:
- 2009: 244
- 2011: 196
- Overall decrease: 20 percent
- Illinois’ entrepreneurial activity rank:
- 2009: 40th in the nation
- 2011: 47th in the nation
- Illinois’ economic outlook ranking:
- 2009: 44th in the nation
- 2012: 48th in the nation
- Illinois’ state competitiveness ranking:
- 2009: 37th in the nation
- 2011: 44th in the nation
- Illinois’ Best States for Business ranking:
- 2009: 24th in the nation
- 2011: 41st in the nation
- Illinois’ teen unemployment rate:
- 2009: 25.7 percent
- 2012: 27.1 percent
- Number of Illinoisans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP:
- 2009: 1.57 million
- 2011: 2 million
- Overall increase: 28 percent
- The number of Illinoisans receiving Social Security:
- 2009: 2 million
- 2011: 2.07 million
- Overall increase: 4 percent
- The number of Illinois students eligible for free or reduced price lunches:
- 2009: 49 percent
- 2012: 54 percent