Post by davidsf on Jun 1, 2021 4:21:05 GMT -8
This is from one of our state representatives about a recent vote in our Illinois legislature on next year's budget:
Passed the Budget in the House at 11:56 and the BIMP at 12:02.
From testimony on the House floor:
1. Democrats voted for a pay raise AGAIN for the state legislators.
2. They also voted to double their district office allotment. That brings it to about $140,000. I got rid of my district office for the last two years and met people at the library and had my assistant in SPringfield handle constituent concerns. It is outrageous that other people lost their jobs, their businesses, left the state, and tightened their belts and now the damn politicians are voting them and their office staff raises. Most state reps in other states DO NOT have district offices.
3. The Democrats awarded themselves about $1 billion in member initiative money which they can hand out in their districts as they see fit.
4. The budget is $42.3 Billion. They bragged about paying the full pension amount (they didn't, if you look at the actuarial amount). They bragged about paying back debt. The Dems said that they saved taxpayers $100m by paying back the $2.1B they borrowed from the Feds early. WE were the only state that had to borrow from the Feds - so pathetic. And then Fed taxpayers gave us $8.1billion which is what they are using to pay back and pay off everyone.
5. The budget added 46 new grants in DCEO and 76 new grants in DHS.
6. Of the $8.1B in fed funds, this budget spends $2.5 B. The rest will be spent over the next four years.
7. There is a $5 BILLION hole in our Unemployment Trust Fund. This budget does not put any money into that fund. That means when you need your unemployment in the future, your benefits could be cut OR employers are going to have to pay more to replenish the fund.
It has been a devastating session for employers. And taxpayers got helped by their own money that went to the federal government. But, make no doubt, the Democrats massively grew government this year - fiscally and with regulations. Nothing has changed in this state.
From testimony on the House floor:
1. Democrats voted for a pay raise AGAIN for the state legislators.
2. They also voted to double their district office allotment. That brings it to about $140,000. I got rid of my district office for the last two years and met people at the library and had my assistant in SPringfield handle constituent concerns. It is outrageous that other people lost their jobs, their businesses, left the state, and tightened their belts and now the damn politicians are voting them and their office staff raises. Most state reps in other states DO NOT have district offices.
3. The Democrats awarded themselves about $1 billion in member initiative money which they can hand out in their districts as they see fit.
4. The budget is $42.3 Billion. They bragged about paying the full pension amount (they didn't, if you look at the actuarial amount). They bragged about paying back debt. The Dems said that they saved taxpayers $100m by paying back the $2.1B they borrowed from the Feds early. WE were the only state that had to borrow from the Feds - so pathetic. And then Fed taxpayers gave us $8.1billion which is what they are using to pay back and pay off everyone.
5. The budget added 46 new grants in DCEO and 76 new grants in DHS.
6. Of the $8.1B in fed funds, this budget spends $2.5 B. The rest will be spent over the next four years.
7. There is a $5 BILLION hole in our Unemployment Trust Fund. This budget does not put any money into that fund. That means when you need your unemployment in the future, your benefits could be cut OR employers are going to have to pay more to replenish the fund.
It has been a devastating session for employers. And taxpayers got helped by their own money that went to the federal government. But, make no doubt, the Democrats massively grew government this year - fiscally and with regulations. Nothing has changed in this state.
