Fox Valley: Governor posts budget information online

Governor posts budget information online
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Chicago Tribune on 02/24/2010 08:07:00

Gov. Pat Quinn's office is scheduled to post preliminary budget information
online today in an effort to solicit public input as he crafts the state's
annual spending plan.

Quinn wouldn't provide details Tuesday about what will be posted, but it's no
secret the state is facing unprecedented money woes including an estimated $13
billion deficit. The governor's site, www.budget.illinois.gov, will go live at
noon.
While Quinn said he's making the information public ahead of his March 10
budget address in an effort to foster "electronic democracy," it's likely also
an effort to build public support for his call for an income tax increase.
Quinn is already warning that he will have to make large budget cuts this year
to make ends meet, adding things will get worse on July 1 when $1 billion in
federal stimulus money for education runs out.
"We have a major challenge," Quinn said. "We're going to have to cut the budget
in a very substantial way in order to do our part to get where we have to go,
which is to stabilize the situation in Illinois."
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