Not Everyone In Springfield Is Tightening Their Belts
By aaroncynic in News on Feb 28, 2012 10:40PM
While Governor Quinn’s budget calls for some pretty deep cuts across the board, at least a few leaders in the state won’t have to face any fiscal austerity measures.
Central Illinois Proud reports the 2012 Illinois budget includes a few pay raises for Quinn, the State Legislature and other constitutional offices (h/t Capitol Fax). In total, the raises contained in the budget add up to a more than $250,000 pay increase from 2012.
Quinn will see his own paycheck grow by $1,600 to $179,100. Secretary of State Jesse White and Treasurer Dan Rutherford will see similar increases in pay. Illinois House Representatives will each get an extra $620, while Senate members will get about $630.
Meanwhile, Quinn’s budget also apparently contains some fuzzy math. According to the AP, while Quinn said his budget will cut spending by $425 million on state agencies, state Republicans said the budget would actually increase by $50 million from last year. The governor is counting the cash he controls, like agency spending, while not including spending such as pension costs, which state law sets.
In total, Quinn’s spending plan is $700 million more than the 2012 budget, according to Illinois Statehouse News. Budget Director David Vaught told ISN “Our pension payment is increasing a little over $1 billion this year,” to $5.9 billion. However, Laurance Msall, president of the Civic Federation, said this is livable, based on a projected state revenue of $34.3 billion in 2013. Msall said “The governor's proposed spending is less than projected state revenues. And that is a step in the right direction.”