WMBD/WYZZ - SPRINGFIELD -- Governor Rod Blagojevich is turning to the president elect for help in a billion dollar budget shortfall.

The governor will meet Monday and Tuesday Philadelphia with Barack Obama. Their discussion will focus on Illinois' $2 billion deficit and how the Land of Lincoln will manage its 2009 fiscal year.

In November, Blagojevich announced a plan to manage the state's deficit. Part of that plan requests more than $1 billion dollars in federal money over the next three years, in addition to short-term borrowing to help pay bills on time. Illinois is currently facing a potential $5 billion backlog of unpaid bills.