Quinn Cracks Down on State Spending

By Kevin Robinson in News on Feb 12, 2009 7:00PM

While Washington was busy trying to figure out how to leverage the federal government's largess to kick the economy back into a normal business cycle, our new governor Pat Quinn was busy restricting state spending. Facing a $9 billion deficit, Quinn has ordered state agencies to cut spending by one percent, exempting education, has ordered that job vacancies not be filled, and is curtailing spending on travel and equipment. "Nobody likes to cut back, but sometimes that's what's necessary," Quinn said. "We have to make sure that state government is lean and cuts cost wherever it can."

Quinn also met privately with House Democrats on Tuesday, where he reportedly discussed stabilizing state finances and education spending and reforms focused on fighting corruption. Although he didn't specifically discuss tax increases, Quinn made it clear that blaancing the budget wouldn't be easy. "I think he was trying to make us aware that we're going to have to be very grown-up and make some hard choices," Evanston Democrat Julie Hamos told Crain's Chicago Business. "When we have a big deficit, we all have to tighten our belts," Quinn said. One option that may be on the table is borrowing from other state funds to secure federal funding for hospitals.