Easy Budget Relief – Abolish Illinois Dept. of Commerce

View as PDF Chicago—The president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today urged the Illinois General Assembly to abolish the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), rather than adopt ineffectual measures that would only perpetuate what he called “a corporate welfare institution of monstrous proportions.”
“While the Ill. House of Representatives passed House Bill 574 on June 23, 2015, and sent it to the Illinois Senate, which would allow the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to turn some of its functions into a ‘public-private partnership,’ such a move is inadequate and will not make a dent in Illinois’ fiscal emergency,” said Jim Tobin, TUA president.
“The State of Illinois is broke; it is going down the drain, and it’s time to put entire bureaucratic state programs on the chopping block,” said Tobin.
“House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and their caucuses passed a budget for the 2016 fiscal year beginning July 1 that is at least $4 billion in the hole. The upcoming budget deficit would be more than double that of last year.”
“The DCEO is responsible mainly for disbursing funds to local businesses and local governments. In addition to $528 million in state funds, the DCEO also disburses about $1.25 billion in federal funds.”
“These are nothing but welfare payments to politically connected business firms. All corporate welfare should be immediately ended. But if the members of the Illinois General Assembly insist on handing the federal loot to their corporate friends, the federal funds should be collected and disbursed by the Illinois Department of Public Aid as welfare checks. That would at least be honest.”