Great Editorial from the Daily Herald

Get fed up with our state officials
5/30/2008

Editorial, Daily Herald

We can't recall a time when there wasn't questionable spending in last-minute state budget and construction plans that never get publicly vetted.

Watch out. You might not realize it yet, but the next few days are very hazardous to all Illinoisans' financial health and well-being.

State legislative leaders and Gov. Rod Blagojevich suddenly are careening toward trying to approve a multibillion-dollar state budget and a $31 billion capital construction plan.

Democrats who control both the House and Senate face a midnight Saturday deadline to push through financial deals. If they don't, then super majority votes are required and Republicans gain more power at the bargaining table.

We've seen it all far too many times before. Months were wasted and now Democrats Blagojevich, Senate President Emil Jones and House Speaker Michael Madigan are trying to hammer out a back-door deal. Sadly, the game remains the same and the frustrating truth is that Illinoisans lose no matter the outcome.

If legislators ram budget or construction plans through both houses by midnight Saturday, we all lose because none of us or the rank-and-file legislators most of us elected will have much of a handle on any of the details.

If they don't, they have failed to do their jobs and the state's business is not being managed.

Last year, a Democratic draw prompted months of special sessions that cost nearly another $1 million out of our pockets. Any overtime session is going to cost taxpayers as more people spend more time in Springfield. This at a time when the state already isn't paying its bills on time.

It's unconscionable and we're all not complaining loudly enough.

Democratic and some Republican caucus chiefs are talking about a $31 billion construction program. While we have said before in this space that some construction money is needed, when something is slammed through in a weekend or in an overtime session, history shows there's bound to be reckless overspending on questionable projects we won't find out about until it's too late.

Remember Illinois FIRST? That mere $12 billion construction plan, approved nine years ago, included plenty of projects many saw as frivolous. The money didn't run out until 2003.

Right this second, Blagojevich and the caucus chiefs are talking about something more than twice that amount to be funded by borrowing money, selling off the rights to state lottery profits, adding slots at racetracks, and more and much bigger casinos in the region.

We can't recall a time when there wasn't questionable spending in last-minute state budget and construction plans that never get publicly vetted.

Whether a deal happens this weekend, or in weeks, it's more than likely our elected officials will have been reckless with our money.

And they wonder why so many of us want the power to recall them from office. It's all enough to make us sick.