Passing the buck
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of unpaid bills, lawmakers have passed the buck to educators, service providers and local communities. The backlog now exceeds $5 billion, including $1.47 billion in delayed payments to public school districts. The state also owes hundreds of millions of dollars to higher education agen cies, health care providers, social service agencies, and local governments. These “de facto” budget cuts have already caused staff layoffs, service reduc tions and elimination of state-funded programs in many commu nities. In FY 2011, with the state facing a one-year operating deficit of $3.8 billion and a cumu lative deficit of $9.8 billion, the backlog of unpaid bills will grow, and the disintegra tion of public services will continue.

The General Assembly’s inability to enact a responsible budget will exacerbate the burgeon ing fiscal firestorm. Legislators from both political parties have chosen maneuver - ing for short-term political advantage over policymaking for the long-term common good. They have missed another window of opportunity to fashion a balanced solution to the state budget crisis. The key elements of such a solution must include a significant amount of new, sustainable revenue, appropriate spending restraints, and mean ingful fiscal reforms. Illinois must decide what kind of state it wants to be: one that meets its fiscal and social responsi bilities or one that undermines its own future by allowing the erosion of essential programs and services for children, families and communities.

Larry Joseph, director, and Manya Khan, policy analyst, are with the Budget & Tax Policy Initiative at Voices for Illinois Children, a statewide advocacy group. This article is taken from their June 2010 special report on the Illinois fiscal situation. The full report is available at www.voices4kids.org.