The deadline for reaching an agreement on the mounting Illinois budget deficit has passed. Democrat Governor Pat Quinn is pushing for a significant income tax increase.

From the AP via THOnline.com:

CHICAGO -- Gov. Pat Quinn said Saturday that lawmakers are "pretty close" to passing a new state budget but offered no explanation for his optimism or even why he now backs a budget that rejects his top legislative priority: a tax increase.

Although Democratic leaders had hoped to pass a new budget by Friday, they could not agree on how to address a $13 billion budget deficit. Lawmakers ignored Quinn's call to raise income taxes...

Reached for a comment by Libertarian Republican, Libertarian Party nominee for Governor Lex Green had this to say:

Albert Einstein once said "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." The build up of spending that Illinois has seen for
the last several decades cannot be fixed by scheming to get re-elected. It is time for lawmakers to make some hard decisions and roll back the programs that have gotten us into the current financial mess.

Illinois government spending has gone up over $1000 per citizen over the last decade, adjusted for inflation. We don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. I don't know how this affects lawmakers, but my budget can't take another $1000 hit.

Green's proposed budgets calls for an "immediate freeze on new spending and the elimination of non-essential state programs."

Additionally, Green would move in the complete opposite direction on taxes:

I want to eliminate the 3% income tax. Many states do not have an income tax. I also want to eliminate the gasoline tax, cigarette tax and taxes on alcoholic beverages. I also want to eliminate corporate taxes.

Finally, Green adds:

Illinois’ government spending needs to be drastically reduced to balance the budget within the limits that tax revenues supply.

LexGreenforGovernor.com