Florida Governor Ron DeSantis v. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
For reference, Florida is 1.8x more populous than IL: 23.37 million people in FL compared to 12.71 million in IL.
Now consider these points:
1. FL’s general revenue budget is $52B; IL’s is $56B. Because states have different budgeting approaches, looking at total FY27 budgets: FL = $117B; IL = $130B.
This doesn’t make sense.
2. Pritzker advocated for and signed the largest budget in state history this year and in previous years. Pritzker’s budget is up $16B since he took office.
DeSantis has reduced spending each year for the last four years and vetoed over $10B in spending during his time in office.
3. Pritzker brags about his credit upgrades, but IL has the worst state credit rating; FL has the best credit rating.
4. FL has a rainy day fund of $18B. IL’s rainy-day fund is $2B, and Pritzker did not add to it this year after bragging about his contributions in past years – remember this is the largest budget in IL state history, and he didn’t budget to add to the rainy-day fund.
5. FL is pushing $78B in road programs and moving planned projects ahead 5-15 years, according to DeSantis’ discussion of his budget. IL can’t even get projects planned, permitted, and built in a timely manner, so many projects are left undone, and money sits in an account collecting interest. And now that surplus interest is being sent to the CTA to bail them out.
6. DeSantis has given back over $9B in taxes. Pritzker has raised taxes every year for a total of over $77B, according to IPI.
9. FL is giving $5,000 signing bonuses for police officers. IL politicians want to defund the police.
10. FL is on the cusp of eliminating property taxes for 60% of homeowners, and they have no state income tax. IL has the highest property taxes, plus individual income and estate taxes, high corporate taxes, and there’s been no attempt to meaningfully lower property taxes.
Yes, elections have consequences. But it can all be reversed. DeSantis barely got elected 8 years ago. Your vote matters.