Chambana Sun

The state of Illinois should be working for the people who work for it, Gov. Bruce Rauner told a gathering at HL Precision Manufacturing in Champaign recently. 

Instead, he said, red tape and rhetoric have led to a stagnant economy and costs that are driving businesses elsewhere.

“We have the hardest working people," he said, according News Channel 20. "We have the location, the best agriculture, the best university systems -- especially here in Champaign -- we’ve got the best transportation infrastructure. We should be kicking tails, and instead all it is low and no growth because it’s all deficit-spending red tape pushing our businesses out."

Rauner's stop was part of his two-day tour of the state to promote a balanced budget through reform and other economic growth measures laid out in his "Turnaround Agenda."

As the state faces its next budget deadline in May, Rauner is working to push the General Assembly to come to a budget agreement that focuses on reform rather than increased spending. Illinois is currently operating with a deficit of $6 billion and has not had a full budget in more than 20 month. 

Rauner argues that while Democrats are pushing for increased taxes to push the state’s current revenue of $32 million closer to its current spending of $38 million, he and Republicans are looking for ways to reduce spending and make the state a more-welcoming environment for business.

Rauner's positions on tax and business-friendly policies have earned him the support of business owners, including Steve Hillard, president of HL Precision.

"I'm a supporter of his, and Precision Manufacturing is a good backdrop to talk about the economy," Hillard said.

Throughout his tour, Rauner advocated term limits for state politicians and changes to the way political districts are drawn.

He also highlighted the need for job growth, saying that Illinois has less growth than its neighboring states and has not had net job growth for the past 17 years, despite a corresponding government spending increase of 66 percent. In that time, Illinois has lost approximately 300,000 manufacturing jobs, according to Rauner.

To remedy this stagnation, Rauner supports measures to promote business and cut property taxes.

"We need a budget that works for the people of Illinois," Rauner said, according to the News Gazette. "Whether you are Democrats or Republicans, I work for you. The budget shouldn't be a battle at all."

The Illinois House recently passed a partisan measure for a new stopgap budget -- an indication of the state of budget negotiations in the chamber. Rauner pointed to the harm that stopgap budgets can cause, especially to public universities.

"We should have a balanced budget," he said. "We should give resources to our university system. They can't be strong if we have these short-term stopgaps for spending."

Nevertheless, Rauner had high praise for the university.

"When I'm out selling Illinois, you know what is at the top of my list?" he said. "The University of Illinois. I want to take it from excellent to phenomenal."