CHICAGO - The Republican candidate for Illinois governor outlined plans June 11 to cut $1 billion in spending to help balance the state's books without revenues from an expiring income tax hike.
The 10-point blueprint offered the most detailed look yet at candidate Bruce Rauner's fiscal plans for the state should he win the November contest. Specifics on how he would accomplish some of the cuts were lacking.
Rauner has attacked Gov. Pat Quinn's efforts to make permanent the 2011 income tax hike that partially expires on Jan. 1. Lawmakers did not approve his proposal and instead passed a budget that avoided deep cuts to offset the nearly $2 billion revenue loss with a series of one-shots like interfund borrowing. Lawmakers are expected to revisit the tax issue after the election.
"Pat Quinn spent five years preserving a broken system. His failure to act has Illinois stuck in a downward spiral that's resulted in both a record tax hike and yet another phony budget," Rauner said in a statement. "That's why I'm laying out a series of structural reforms and savings that will transform our state."
Rauner said he would save $500 million through state purchasing cuts but did not offer specifics on what he would trim. He said another $250 million could be saved by cracking down on Medicaid eligibility and other reforms.
Rauner said he would eliminate state shuttles for lawmakers and the governor and sell the existing state planes, cut lawmakers and state constitutional officers' pay by 10 %, shift lawmakers to a defined-contribution plan, and merge the state comptroller and treasurers' offices.
He said he would not take any pay or a pension as governor. Rauner also wants to curtail outside employment for legislative leaders.
The plan does not address two large costs for the state, education and pensions. Rauner's campaign says he will release additional proposals and policy initiatives to restructure state government and improve the state's economy in the coming weeks.
The Quinn campaign slammed the proposals.
"What Bruce Rauner released today is a giant prank on the public meant to hide the absence of any real plan to deal with the massive structural challenges facing Illinois," the statement said. "What Rauner released today is a collection of newspaper clippings and lesser versions of policies Gov. Quinn already has embraced, as the governor has cut $5.7 billion in spending to date. "
