Fund Illinois Government Fairly and Responsibly

Jeff Smith will be a leader in Springfield for long-overdue fiscal responsibility.
  • Representative Activities:
  • Real-world knowledge of project costs and departmental costs
  • Has reviewed and negotiated contracts with government agencies
  • Has litigated taxing-authority issues
  • Experience assisting fiscally troubled organizations
  • Research and writing on Illinois budgetary issues
  • A leading activist in Evanston on municipal issues
  • Jeff's Plan for Fair Taxes in Illinois:
  • Commit to government living within its means
  • Reduce reliance on property taxes to fund education
  • Work for a responsible, progressive state income tax
  • Stop regressive, economy-deadening sales tax hikes
  • End irresponsible deficit spending and pension raiding
"Illinois, which has a regressive tax structure, suffers from a long-term failure to take in enough revenue to pay for programs passed and approved. The state has covered this up for years by using the pension funds as a credit card, through borrowing, and by "sweeps" from the many special funds set up for dedicated purposes, into the general operating budget. This patchwork method of budgeting must end.

"Although a tax increase was passed by the 96th General Assembly and other decisions may occur before I take office, my work and votes in Springfield will reflect the following principles:
  • All state budgets must be truly and honestly balanced; in the near-term, this means no  new income tax increase, and looking to spending cuts.
  • Budgeting should reflect likely contingencies, not depend on the most optimistic assumptions
  • We must place people ahead of politics, buildings, and special interests
  • Spending cuts must target waste and inefficiency foremost; the most vulnerable in our population must not bear the brunt of difficult economic times
  • Taxation should be fairer
  • Belt-tightening and sacrifice should be shared, not imposed disproportionately on a few; across-the-board reductions, third-party-contract reductions, and distributed cuts are preferable to layoffs
  • Unsustainable pension plans cannot continue. The alternative to real pension reform would be wholesale personnel and wage restructuring. The preferable path is for the State to partner with employee unions to accomplish this reform fairly.
  • A second federal stimulus, from the state's point of view, would be welcome, perhaps even necessary, but cannot be counted on given the national legislative prognosis
  • The legislature must not subject schools and local governments to unfunded mandates
  • I will look to you for suggestions and ideas as well.
  - Jeff Smith

Ideas on the Illinois Budget
Moving Beyond Denial on a Tax Increase
Spend As If It Were Your Own Money
Fund-Sweeping Deficits Under the Rug


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