Illinois State Senate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Earlier this year I posted how the state of Illinois manages to be the worse governed state in the country. Illinois now has a worse credit rating than Botswana! The state also manages to spend more money (of which they don’t have) on recipients NOT living in the state, solely because of inefficiency and the lack of oversight. The greatest calamity caused by incompetency is the state’s massive unfunded pension liability. The state incurs $17 million in additional debt for every day it does not solve its problem. At month-end the state will have over $100 billion in unfunded pension liability debt.
For years my state lawmakers have supposedly been trying to ascertain a reasonable solution. And for years they have subsequently failed. In fact the only thing they’ve managed to perfect is the art of doing nothing. In March, lawmakers took a break from doing their job so they could go on vacation. Governor Quinn told his fellow Democrats that they had to actually do their jobs; and like children reprimanded by their parents they reluctantly gathered to broker a deal. And what solution did these “great minds” come up with you might ask.
Well to form a committee to find a solution of course. YES, that’s right. Their solution is to form a committee to find a solution. Incredulously, yet sadly not surprisingly, Gov. Quinn commended the lawmakers on their “solution.” I am NOT JOKING. I truly wish this was a satirical post.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Gov. Quinn hailed the “breakthrough the procedural agreement between House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.”
He states:
“I was very glad to see the leaders come together and agree that this is a mechanism to get the job done, finish the business of the people.”
Surely, my governor is joking. If only that were the case. My dear reader this is Illinois legislators at their “best.” This is Illinois politics. And this is EXACTLY why this state is bankrupt. At least California could argue their former governor couldn’t speak English very well. Our politicians are just dumb. Actually if you think about it, they really aren’t dumb. What’s dumb is that we continue to elect these morons who collect a bloated paycheck for doing NOTHING but incurring more debt.
I am embarrassed to live in this state. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE CHICAGO. But this state is beyond ridiculous. I’d move to Indiana but c’mon who is going to do that. J Their state drink is water. That should explain Indiana for you. I don’t want to move. I want my city to function. I want competent people in office. I want voters to hold these people accountable for their inept behavior.
Unfortunately, as past elections have evidenced, voters are completely disillusioned by politics. They are encumbered by their daily struggles that they’ve lost hope in government. There are others who simply refuse to vote for a Republican candidate. Their denial for the most part to vote for a non-Democratic candidate has greatly hindered this state. There is a reason the best governed states are with Republican governors. Illinoisans have a simple choice: change or welcome more of the same. One can argue that a switch to a Republican governor will prove futile. What guarantee that candidate will do his/her job? Well you don’t know if you don’t try. Opponents in Illinois win elections when the incumbent is off to jail.
Hopefully this post will serve enlightening to my fellow residents.
Hopefully my fellow residents will decide “enough is enough.”
As my blood pressure finally begins to taper to a safer level, I wonder:
Should I run for a governmental position?
Someone has got to do the job.
Why not me?
Email: realtalkdebate2012@gmail.com
Twitter: @adrakontaidis & @talkrealdebate