In outlining his budget blueprint Wednesday in Springfield, Gov. Pat Quinn surprised no one when he called for the permanent extension of current income tax rates. Yes, those are the rates that, according to the law Quinn signed Jan. 13, 2011, are to start receding on Jan. 1.
He surprised no one when he blamed other people's poor fiscal practices "that I inherited" for this state's disastrous financial shape, or when he invoked a recession that officially ended nearly five years ago, in June 2009.
He surprised no one when he warned of massive teacher layoffs, property tax increases and even "victims of rape left without proper care" if lawmakers allow the individual income tax to roll back from 5 percent to 3.75 percent as scheduled.
Quinn, that is, surprised no one. He offered no fundamental changes in how Illinois spends or does business — no remedies for the distressed status quo. In his sixth budget address — this one for the fiscal year that begins July 1 — the governor instead said he wants to make permanent the income tax increase that he and his Democratic Party allies insisted would be "temporary." Read the rest of the Chicago Tribune Editorial.