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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Illinois' hardworking families and private sector
3 employees have faced layoffs, pay cuts, loss of benefits, and
4 other employment concessions; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Illinois is experiencing an unprecedented fiscal
6 crisis resulting in billions in unpaid bills, a projected $1.3
7 billion shortfall for education in Fiscal Year 2011, and
8 reductions to human services programs that assist Illinois'
9 most vulnerable citizens; and
 
10     WHEREAS, The Commission on Government Forecasting and
11 Accountability estimates that Illinois' Fiscal Year 2011
12 budget will have a $13 billion deficit; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Governor's proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget
14 proposes to close this gap with a combination of fee and tax
15 increases, including a 33% income tax increase, fund transfers,
16 multi-billion dollar borrowing schemes, no pay raises for merit
17 compensation employees, as well as instituting furlough days
18 for these employees; and
 
19     WHEREAS, According to data from the Bureau of Labor
20 Statistics, Illinois has lost 475,000 wage and salary jobs
21 since November 2000, a decline of 7.64%, and economic forecasts

 

 

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1 predict a slow recovery for the State of Illinois; and
 
2     WHEREAS, In March 2000, the unemployment rate was 4.4%, and
3 in March 2010, the unemployment rate was 11.5%; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Personal income in Illinois fell 2.1% during 2009,
5 outstripping the national average decline of 1.7%, according to
6 estimates released by the United States Bureau of Economic
7 Analysis; the 2.1% decline ranks Illinois 38th in the nation;
8 and
 
9     WHEREAS, In Fiscal Year 2011, $336.2 million is being
10 budgeted by Governor Quinn to fulfill employee collective
11 bargaining agreements; $230.6 million to annualize Fiscal Year
12 2010 pay raises and $105.6 million for Cost-of-Living and Step
13 increases; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In light of Illinois' bleak economic forecast and
15 extraordinarily large projected budget shortfall, it is
16 fiscally irresponsible to consider salary increases in Fiscal
17 Year 2011 for State employees when education and social service
18 programs are being reduced or unfunded due to lack of funds;
19 and
 
20     WHEREAS, State employees represented by unions should
21 forgo compensation increases in these tough economic times by

 

 

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1 also making sacrifices to share in the recovery of Illinois'
2 economy; and
 
3     WHEREAS, No State revenue enhancements to balance the
4 budget should be considered until all budget expenditures are
5 thoroughly reviewed to ensure wasteful or unnecessary spending
6 is eliminated from the budget; therefore, be it
 
7     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9 that we urge the Governor to reopen collective bargaining
10 agreements to remove pay increases as a means to (i) reduce
11 State expenditures and (ii) ensure the additional funding is
12 directed to education and social service programs; and be it
13 further
 
14     RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to
15 the Governor.