Ralph Martire is Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
and a frequent speaker at The Arc’s event. The Center for Tax and Budget
Accountability was formed in 2000 to be a bipartisan, nonprofit research, and
advocacy think tank that works across ideological lines to promote social and
economic justice for everyone, from traditionally disadvantaged populations to the
middle-class.


Ralph Martire

Recently, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA) did an analysis of
gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner’s position paper on fiscal policy, “Bring Back
Blueprint: Jobs and Growth Agenda” (the “Blueprint”). The Blueprint represents
candidate Rauner’s most complete policy statement on how to resolve the very
real and serious fiscal problems that have plagued Illinois state government for
decades.

From the CTBA Analysis,

“Overall, the fiscal policy proposals set forth in the Blueprint would result in a net
loss of total General Fund revenue of $5 billion from FY2015 levels—or $2 billion
 more than is already projected to occur under current law.”

“Given that the accumulated General Fund deficit is already $6.5 billion, it does
not seem mathematically possible that the loss of another $5 billion in annual
revenue will do anything but worsen the state’s already poor fiscal condition. In
fact, if service spending is simply held constant with FY2015 levels—in nominal
dollars with no adjustment for inflation—the deficit created by the fiscal policy
proposals in the Blueprint would total $12.5 billion, representing 50.8 percent of
all projected General Fund spending on services in FY2016.”

Read the CTBA Analysis.


Tony Paulauski
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@www.thearcofil.org