Chicago-based planning group urges action on structural reforms tied to a regional sales tax increase to fund Chicago-area transit operating needs, and a statewide income tax increase for Illinois public schools
(Chicago) … As the state budget debate persists, the
Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) urges lawmakers to reject cosmetic funding
fixes and choose sustainable revenue sources to meet basic local and statewide
needs: public transportation, key to metropolitan Chicago’s economic well being,
would be stabilized by an increase in the regional sales tax to fund operating
expenses; and a state income tax increase would support Illinois public schools
for the long term. Complimentary reforms to ensure that new resources are used
wisely also are pending action by the General
Assembly.
“It would be foolish to
roll the dice when it comes to funding our most basic needs. Gaming revenues are
not a sure bet,” said MPC President
MarySue
Barrett
. “We cannot afford the possibility of our transit
system shutting down or our schools not being able to afford to prepare our
children for the future workforce. We must identify long-term funding sources
for these essentials.”
If
lawmakers instead rubber-stamp quick funding fixes,
Illinois
will lack the
same basics next year and the year after next. “Gaming may seem like a way out
this year, but we’ll be faced with the same unmet needs in a matter of months,”
she said.
Barrett added that a
modest regional sales tax increase – the first since 1983 – is a logical tax to
fund operating expenses for the region’s public transportation system; and that
raising the state income tax to fund public schools – while protecting
low-income families – is the most progressive solution.
“Sustainable, appropriate
solutions are on the table,” said Barrett. “We urge the governor and state
lawmakers to pass a budget based on sound policies that stand the test of
time.”