Lake County Gazette

While the recent approval of a $38.5 billion budget proposal by state lawmakers is seen as a step in the right direction by the Illinois governor and many legislators, the vote is not sitting well with state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills), who says the spending plan only adds to the state's tax "carnage." 

In a somewhat scathing speech on the Illinois House floor, McSweeney took his fellow lawmakers as well as Gov. Bruce Rauner to task for the spending plan, which does not address the state's $6.6 billion in unpaid bills, not to mention the state's pension debt.  

"The taxpayers in this state are getting killed, and this bill ... continues the carnage," McSweeney said as he took the House floor.  

He stressed to his colleagues that without tackling the issue of pension reform, the issue of having a budget does nothing to help the state. 

"Yes, we do need to cut the budget and math does count," McSweeney said in his speech. "We need to do real pension reform. We are insolvent."

McSweeney said that the state is in such dire shape that it needs to seek federal help and blamed Rauner for not seeking help in the form of federal dollars. 

"We have a governor who won't call the president of the United States," McSweeney said. "He won't even say his name, and the taxpayers of this state are paying for it." 

In a statement, Rauner said he thought that the spending proposal was a starting point even though it did not tackle the state's debt problem, according to a recent report in the Chicago Tribune.

McSweeney continued to focus on Rauner during his speech on the house floor. 

"I implore you to keep your word, governor, to the people of the state of Illinois," McSweeney said. "...Stand up for the people."