Watching former State Comptroller Roland Burris, who defeated me in his re-election effort in 1982, on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight Monday reminded me why it was fun running against him.
He’s a tax hiker.
Monday night, Burris boldly went where few other than paid tax hike advocate Ralph Martire have dared go.
Burris wants the General Assembly to pass a budget with a tax hike, wait for Governor Rod Blagojevich to veto it and, then, override the expected veto.
To her credit Judy Barr Topinka did not agree with his suggestion.
After what I wrote about Blagojevich, I find it really exciting to be on his side on at least one issue.
Cal, let me ask your expertise.
What can be done about the problem of the “structural deficit”, i.e. the REQUIRED state spending of pensions, medicaid and interest payments which will soon hog up 80% of the budget? Forget about Schools, roads, parks and prisons-they are not included in this 80% behomoth.
What can be done? It’s like the elephant sitting in the living room that politicians won’t talk about.
We can’t just abolish Medicaid, it is federally mandated and cutting off pensions would be politically unpopular as it is in the private sector. But something has got to give.
Too big a question.
For starters stop spending an extra billion a year on new programs for which there is not sufficient money to maintain.
That is, of course, a generalization, but it speaks to spending, rather than taxes, being the main problem.
And I completely agree! Even if we rein in spending and do not raise taxes, we’re still talking peanuts here compared to the 80% required spending in pensions, Medicaid, and interest payments. Is this problem even solveable on that level?