Kosel Skeptical of Governor's "Borrow and Spend" Proposals

By HRO News Network

"Today the governor unveiled his blueprint for the next year. Unfortunately its more of the same? spending with no state funding to back it up," said Kosel.

Representative Kosel stressed that since taking office Governor Blagojevich has increased the state's general obligation bond debt by 167 percent and he continues to raid pensions to pay for new spending. "Virtually all of the past initiatives the Governor touted in his remarks today were financed through borrowing and fund raids," Kosel said. She noted that the centerpiece of the Governor's address today, a $3.2 billion capital improvement plan, would be financed by more bond debt and by a massive expansion of gambling.

"I have led the fight to secure crucial transportation funding and to restart our crucial school construction program. The Governor has raided the state road fund to pay for other programs, and now says we must go deeper into debt to complete vital infrastructure projects. The Governor's message to those school districts still on the waiting list for state matching funds is that their project will depend entirely upon new gambling revenue. It's simply unconscionable. The Governor this month pledged a million dollars in taxpayer funding to rebuild a Chicago church, but tells our schools they must rely on gambling to build their classrooms." said Kosel.

"As our families do every day, we in Government must live within our means and prioritize our spending?and we absolutely must begin to pay down our mounting debt. I am very disappointed that we heard none of that from the Governor today," Kosel stressed.