Makeba Rogers, center, and others who depend on Illinois government for services and paychecks hold a rally in the rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol for higher taxes in Springfield, Ill. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010. They say the state cannot fix its $13 billion deficit solely through spending cuts and argue that such deep cuts would gut state programs, from road repairs to prisons to addiction treatment.
(AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
More than 1,000 people who depend on Illinois government for services and paychecks rally in the rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol for higher taxes in Springfield, Ill., Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010. They say the state cannot fix its $13 billion deficit solely through spending cuts and argue that such deep cuts would gut state programs, from road repairs to prisons to addiction treatment.
(AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
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Posted: Wednesday, 17 February 2010 1:37PM
Pro-tax groups protest budget cuts at Ill. Capitol
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- More than 1,000 people who depend on Illinois government for services and paychecks are visiting the state Capitol to lobby for higher taxes.
They say the state cannot fix its $13 billion deficit solely through spending cuts. They argue that such deep cuts would gut state programs, from road repairs to prisons to addiction treatment.
They held a rally Wednesday and then fanned out through the Capitol to lobby individual lawmakers.
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Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn supports a tax increase and wants to pass it this year, but the Republicans competing for his job say they would balance the budget without raising taxes.
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