Quinn Fail

by John Tillman Since the tax hike fight of 2009 (the picture on the left is from my debate on Fox 32 on the merits of a tax hike versus spending reforms – see it here) we have been saying some simple things at the Illinois Policy Institute.  First, our problems are rooted in structural overspending.  Second,...

by John Tillman

Since the tax hike fight of 2009 (the picture on the left is from my debate on Fox 32 on the merits of a tax hike versus spending reforms – see it here) we have been saying some simple things at the Illinois Policy Institute.  First, our problems are rooted in structural overspending.  Second, to fix Illinois’s budget deficit we had to cut spending, essentially resetting spending to 2007 when our population was roughly the same but our state budget was more affordable.  Third, the only way to solve this problem, besides spending cuts, pension reforms and restructuring, was to increase tax revenues in a beneficial way—through job creating, household income increasing policies. In other words, growth.  These principles are at the core of our Illinois Turnaround Plan.

Yesterday the Cato Institute released its biennial report on the 50 governors.  It should come as no surprise that Governor Quinn flunked.  You can see it here and you can see the Wall Street Journal’s take on it here.  Note that the governors that set the grading curve did, in fact, reset their state budgets to 2007.

Daniel Henninger addresses the issue of growth today in the Journal, which you can read here (may require a subscription).

The solutions are simple; it is the political will that is hard.  Elections are a blunt instrument of accountability.  In 2006 and 2008 the GOP was whacked on the head, rightfully so, for its big spending ways.  November 2nd is just over a month away.  The American people are looking around for a blunt instrument and someone to hold accountable—and they are likely to find it in the voting booth.