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Lawmakers Trying to Avoid Tax Increases
What are the prospects that the governor's budget proposal will make it through the General Assembly unscathed?

Illinois Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) says many lawmakers of both parties are looking for ways to avoid the tax increases Gov. Pat Quinn proposed last week. But she says even lawmakers who want to cut spending will be confronted in the coming weeks by state workers, advocacy groups and grant recipients, all of whom will claim that the money they receive is essential.

"Anybody that comes to you with a program that's in place, they're doing some good somewhere, but the fact of the matter is, we got along before a lot of those programs were put into place in the first instance," she says. She says many times a government-funded program replaced a community-funded or volunteer program, and people will have to return to that type of arrangement if they want taxes kept down.

Radogno says lawmakers listening to the testimony of service providers will have to think about their constituents too -- many of whom are experiencing at least an economic pinch. Radogno says even though the state income tax is low, citizens look at the big picture including all taxes, and they don't want to pay any more.

Radogno says there will be "tough decisions" and "compromise," and she hopes her members are invited to play a role in formulating the state budget that becomes law.

(Illinois Radio Network)
03 24 09 by Newsroom
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