Kane County Reporter

The idea of Illinois having a full and balanced budget in place strikes Dan Ugaste as a no-brainer.

“I think we should always have a full, balanced budget,” Ugaste told the Kane County Reporter. “That just makes sense to me as being part of good government.”

Gov. Bruce Rauner recently raised that very idea while meeting with top leaders from both parties in Springfield. Rauner’s plan further calls for lawmakers to enact a full-year fiscal 2019 budget before July 1 that adheres to a revenue estimate instead of a partial spending plan that will only carry the state through November’s general election.

Rauner, who is being challenged by Democrat J.B. Pritzker in November, has also pressed lawmakers to present him with a bill that seeks to save taxpayers as much as $1 billion in annual pension costs before the end of the spring legislative session on May 31.

“The reason so many people are leaving the state is taxes are too high,” Ugaste, a Geneva Republican running to replace retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) in the 65th District, said. “You talk to people and most of them think taxes are too high and out of control. They can’t believe taxes are this high when the state is still in so much debt.”

Ugaste said he hopes voters realize it’s only Democrats that are calling for taxes to be raised even more as part of their platform. 

“I’m not aware of any Republicans calling for any increase in taxes,” he said.

As it is, Illinois’ $130 billion in unfunded pension liability and a two-year stretch where the state was forced to operate without a balanced budget in place has pushed the state’s credit ratings to just a shade above junk status.

“We have to change some things, and we need to turn this ship around quickly,” Ugaste added. “People use to want to come to Illinois.”

The 65th House District includes Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Pingree Grove, Hampshire and Huntley.