By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – As Illinois political watchers observed Wednesday’s debate over the budget, many already are singling out the remarks of State Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) as he warned of difficult financial times ahead: “There’s really only one place you can look at, getting these revenues. And that’s taxpayers,” he said. “And at this rate, ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to run out of taxpayer dollars to spend.”
Illinois Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Lou Sandoval used Crespo’s warning as a jumping-off point to criticize the legislature and especially Gov. JB Pritzker. “As rosy as the governor may want to make it sound, it’s almost a flippant response to Fred Crespo’s comments,” Sandoval said, citing the governor’s reaction of “oh, yeah, every year the Republicans talk about hitting the wall, and we always seem to do okay.
“Well,” Sandoval continued, “that’s because you continue to have to pass a supplemental budget to overcome your increasing expenditures.”
Expenses outstripping revenues? “You’ve got to wonder,” Sandoval said, “would you run your company that way? I think at his core, (Pritzker) probably understands that you’re going to be hitting a gap here, and you’re going to be painting yourself into a corner. Where you have to raise taxes at some point.”
Sandoval says the Chamber’s relationship with lawmakers and the other statewide officers is strong; the relationship with Pritzker, he says, is “evolving.” What’s more, Sandoval describes the governor’s team as “a little standoff-ish on not allowing other core groups to have a seat at the table. We want a seat at that table.”
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
