South Central Reporter

The undisguised glee in Springfield over reaching a budget signed by the governor earlier this week isn't quite loud enough to hide the truth about that budget, the Republican candidate for Illinois' 107th State House District said during a recent interview.

"The Political Ruling Class in Springfield is out taking a victory lap on this budget and they seem genuinely amazed with themselves that they were able to pass a budget," farmer and businessman Blaine Wilhour of Beecher City said during a South Central Reporter email interview. 

"I fail to see where this 'budget' is cause for hope, pride or celebration.  It is balanced only on paper and every single legislator that voted for that 'budget' knows the truth. It is not balanced because legislators have no willingness to spend responsibly and it is based on borrowing, gimmicks and unrealistic revenue numbers."

GOP lawmakers are complicit, Wilhour said. 

"The only reason that this was bipartisan is because Republicans threw up the white flag and negotiated almost entirely on the Democrats’ terms," he said. "Accepting a budget that is unbalanced and lacks structural reform sets a terrible precedent for future negotiations. The only thing this budget accomplishes is codifying the bad budget policies that have led us to the brink of financial ruin."

Wilhour, who decisively won during the Republican primary against his opponent Laura Meyers of Greenville, is running for the 107th State House District seat against Effingham resident David Seiler, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Both want to serve the district currently represented by Rep. John Cavaletto (R-Salem), who announced last fall that he will not seek a sixth term in Springfield.

Illinois' 107th State House District encompasses Bond, Fayette and Marion counties, and parts of Clinton and Effingham counties.

Wilhour, an Illinois Army National Guard veteran, was a Fayette County Board member from 2006 to 2010, and previously was a Fayette County precinct committeeman.

The spending package approved late last month by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly is far from balanced, exceeding "realistic revenue projections by as much as $1.5 billion", according to estimates recently released by the Illinois Policy Institute. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed what he called the "$38.5 billion bipartisan compromise budget that holds the line on taxes."

"For the first time in years, we have an opportunity to manage our way into balance, and we don't have to dip into the pockets of overtaxed Illinoisans to do it," Rauner said in a press release. "Balance is in reach because we were able to accomplish $445 million of pension reform and the economy is stronger thanks to federal tax reform, and we are benefiting from an unexpected boost in tax receipts."

Rauner said in the press release that the spending package is "a step in the right direction" but admitted, "it is not perfect."

"We have a lot of work to do before we fully restore the state's fiscal integrity," Rauner continued. "We still need to enact reforms that bring down the cost of government, make the state friendlier to job creators, and ignite our state economy so it grows faster than government spending."

Saying the budget is less than perfect is an understatement, Wilhour said. 

"This budget does nothing to make us more competitive when it comes to attracting jobs and investment back to this state," he said.

"Without structural reforms that put us on a level playing field with our neighbors on worker's comp rates, regulations, taxes there is no light at the end of the tunnel for this state.  Illinois already has the highest combined state and local taxes of any state in the country. If we can't fix the budget with the taxes we have already raised, then we are in real trouble. We can't keep going to the same playbook of raising taxes. Our taxes are high enough."

The new budget also does nothing to cap out-of-control spending or to address the state's debt and pension liabilities, Wilhour said. 

"Legislators need to be focused on sending a message to prospective investors that Illinois is ready to do business," he said. "They do that by showing that they realize our major financial problems and they are serious about pushing actual structural solutions to deal with them in a meaningful way."

One thing the budget does do is spend all revenue from last year's 32 percent tax hike, something Wilhour said the state has had quite enough of. 

"I would have vigorously opposed the 32 percent tax hike," he said. "No amount of taxation will be enough to pull us out of this financial mess."

Wilhour said he would bring a different focus to Springfield. 

"My focus will be on growing the economy through economic reforms and controlling our spending by implementing spending caps that tie the growth of government to the growth rate of the economy," he said.

"How can we compete with surrounding states if we continue to raise taxes and continue to entice people to leave? We need to be attracting new people to our state and we do that by improving our business climate through structural reforms and by lowering our tax burden. The current economic policies in Illinois are killing our state."