Coladipietro, Reboletti & Fortner Blast Last Minute Budget

May 31, 2007

Springfield, IL … Stressing the need for a budget free from pork spending, Representatives Franco Coladipietro (R-Bloomingdale), Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst), and Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) voted against the House Democrat’s last minute budget.

“Where is the transparency in government? First, you have the Democrat House Speaker, Democrat Senate President and Democrat Governor meeting behind closed doors without even extending an invite to Republican leadership on either side. And then, you have the Democrat House Speaker who drops the 900 page budget on our desks moments before we are expected to vote on it,” Coladipietro said. “This is not representative government. Teachers and doctors are being shortchanged in favor of member initiatives. It’s completely unacceptable and a slap to the face of every hard working taxpayer in this great state.”

“Since January, the Democrat leadership has proposed an endless supply of tax increases from the $8 billion gross receipts tax, $9 billion income and sales tax, $1.1 billion payroll tax to the $2 billion power generator tax. Not once did the Democrat leadership sit down with Republican leadership to put together a list of what the state honestly needs instead of lofty, irresponsible new spending proposals,” Reboletti said. “I find it absolutely amusing that after six months the Democrats couldn’t even produce a balanced budget. Our projections show that it’s short by $1.5 billion. The House Republicans not only proposed a balanced budget weeks ago that included no tax increases, but it would also pay down our pension debt and provide more funding for schools with a projected $750 million in new revenue growth.”

Fortner said, “This session was a complete failure for the residents of Illinois. Gas prices are close to $4 if not over $4 in some parts of the state. Electric rates have increased with some areas seeing close to 250% jumps in their monthly bills. High gas prices and electric rates have also increased the price for buying groceries, clothes and most other goods. Yet the House passed a budget that did not include electric rate relief, a suspension of the gas tax or even property tax relief for all residents of Illinois. The Governor, Speaker and Senate President, who come from the same party, should be ashamed of how they govern this state.”

For more information contact Dennis Reboletti at (630) 530-2730, Franco Coladipietro at (630) 582-4500 or Mike Fortner at (630) 293-9344.



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