Illinois State Senate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Imagine watching $17 million be thrown into a fireplace. You don’t really have to do much imagining if you live in Illinois. Everyday this state wastes $17 million because the Illinois General Assembly refuses to tackle the state’s massive spending problem. The word ‘massive’ simply understates the magnitude of this state’s woes.
Illinois has the highest unemployment rate in the Midwest.
Illinoisans paid the ninth-highest state and local taxes in the nation in 2010 (thank you Mike Madigan and Todd Stroger). Mind you this doesn’t count the largest state income tax hike in our history the very next year. Illinoisans pay the 2nd highest property taxes in the nation. And as David Frum so brilliantly describes: “Illinois is the worse governed state in the country.”
So why then you ask would the Illinois Senate vote 23-30 against Senate Bill 35. The bill would have set the “state on the course of stabilizing the dangerously underfunded pension funds during the next 30 years” (Chicago Tribune). The Senate instead decided to begin their 2 WEEK Spring vacation a bit early.
THE SENATE HAS BEEN IN SESSION IN SPRINGFIELD ONLY 18 DAYS SINCE NEW MEMBERS WERE SWORN IN JANUARY 9TH.
Would you still have a job if you only worked 18 days in almost 3 months?
But who cares? Certainly not these politicians. Most certainly not Illinois voters. As long as politicians get their coveted entitlements, while simultaneously not actually working don’t expect much to change. And as long as voters continue to re-elect these deadbeats, change my friends isn’t coming. Why would it? What would warrant it?
So as Illinois politicians enjoy their two-week Spring break (what are they in high school; mind you I never got 2 weeks off for Spring Break) you my fellow Illinoisan will continue to become more in debt; simply because of their incompetence and cowardice. Heck maybe if we get lucky they could meet up with Speaker John Boehner or Nancy Pelosi (not like they are doing anything) and soak up some rays in Florida. It’s on us of course.
Unfortunately infuriating stories like these are quickly becoming a normalcy. They are becoming a new normal because we, the voters, allow these imbeciles to inefficiently “work.” Congratulations, I hope you got what you voted for. Because I know I didn’t. The representatives I voted for in the last election voted in favor of this bill. Can you say the same?
In case you’ve forgotten:
Politicians are masters in the art of doing nothing
And you are a master of re-electing them.
Email: realtalkdebate2012@gmail.com
Twitter: @adrakontaidis & @talkrealdebate