Brady alters stance on across-the-board cuts
CHAMPAIGN – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady appeared to back away Tuesday from what had been a centerpiece of his campaign: a 10 percent across-the-board cut in state spending.
Brady toured HL Precision Manufacturing in northwest Champaign as part of statewide jobs tour he began Monday.
"It's a mathematical equation that we have to reduce at least a dime in every dollar of state spending. But I'll hire real professionals to examine the audit that we will provide and then reprioritize where we're going to spend. Every dollar will be examined. Some programs likely will go by the wayside. Some will be expanded. Some will be reduced."
Brady's remarks Tuesday were at odds with comments he made at least twice in Champaign County before the February gubernatorial primary election.
Last December he said in Savoy, "I have called for a 10 percent cut across the board in every area of state government. We've got to rein in government spending."
He repeated that theme at a GOP candidates debate in January.
"Everyone's going to have to do with 10 percent less," he said then.
Asked Tuesday if he was suggesting that some state programs would be cut 3 percent, some 20 percent and some eliminated, Brady gave a one-word answer:
"Likely."
MoreIt is becoming increasingly clear that Bill Brady is attempting to back away from his right-wing, ultra-conservative views in favor of more moderate stances as election day nears. Illinoisans have to see through this facade, to appear more moderate in order to get elected. Brady is such a typical politician, digging his positions just in order to appeal to voting blocs. We saw it first with his social issues and positions toward women on http://www.StopBillBrady.com and now this. Tell Brady to stop backing away from his previous stances and statements. No matter what he says he plans to take Illinois in the wrong direction.
That website is a joke - empty words.
I've written it numerous times on this site - democratic leadership put this state into it's current financial emergency. Even today they have the ability to fix it and they choose to sit idly by and watch Illinois deteriorate into bankruptcy.
A vote for Quinn is a vote for the same fiscal irresponsibility and corruption we've watched over and over again. I'm not saying Quinn is corrupt, but he is incapable of overcoming the true puppet master in the democratic party - Speaker Madigan.
Quinn means one thing.....more taxes for residents and business. Why would you put the same people in office that got us here? Remember QUINN was BLAGO's campaign manager? Democratic houses and Democratic governor.....I am voting REPUBLICAN for the first time, and so are my neighbors. Quinn just don't get it...
I take issue with Quinn's leadership and "maybe" Brady is a better choice, especially as a balance to Speaker Madigan. However, it is disingenuous of Brady to imply or lead others to believe cuts alone will solve an estimated 13 billion dollar budget deficit. IL has fewer state employees per capita than any state yet many of Brady's solutions involve attempting to balance the budget on the backs of the state workforce. Cuts may need to be made and we probably don't need every program IL currently administers, but a tax increase of some sort is almost certainly needed. Even former Governor Edgar took issue with the 10 percent across the board cuts suggestion. You could layoff every state of IL worker (including the employees of all state run universities) for 3 consecutive years and not balance a 13 billion dollar budget deficit.
It is apparent we need professionals, as Bill Brady proposes, to create a fiscally responsible state budget. The current executive and legislative leadership have no clue how to make a balanced budget. As well the process is apparently more complicated than Mr. Kacich can report clearly.
A net ten percent cut does not mean all budgetary items are cut ten percent and in fact that is usually a recipe for disaster. Prudent cuts are performed exactly as Bill Brady proposes - identify needs, prioritize needs and then fund what you can within your means. That may mean some items are cut, some are scaled back and others expanded. The net result is a ten percent cross the board cut. Just like we ask of every business and family - the state must live within it's means. Let's make a clean break, let's make Illinois great - vote for Bill Brady.
The budget really needs someone who can make the painful cuts required to balance the budget and eliminate the deficit. This requires elimination of early state funded retirements, annual raises for employees and cutting programs. Several private companies I am familiar with nearly went bankrupt during the deregulation meltdown. Others did not make it, Pages and Circuit City to name a few. Illinois’s financial condition is similar to the latter. When one can’t meet current obligations, and revenue increases are unlikely, the ax is the only alternative. Less service, less people, less benefits. Core activities, such as police and Snow plowing need to continue, but discriminatory health care for certain classifications of people will receive little support to those left out. Early taxpayer retirements look like good cutting targets to those of us in a sideways market peppered with several crashes. Other required functions, such as education need to be streamlined. No more remedial classes for those who failed to pay attention in high school. Larger class sizes. These changes are not fun, but to those of us that have been through this sort of crucible, they are mandatory to solve the problem.
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