Illinois Budget

I will be the first to admit my limited understanding of the state budget, but I cannot understand how a group of elected officials cannot understand the basic facts of fiscal responsibility. Spend only what you have. If you need to borrow money then plan to pay that money back as required. Do not over extend yourself. Do not spend money on one thing when it was intended for use in another way. These should be simple accounting policies that every adult should understand.

I read an article last week regarding what the state officials are thinking of doing or not doing since the primary is over. It can be found here. I have copied over the excerpt that really stuck out to me as troubling.

State Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, said the state needs to pay its bills before it looks at spending cuts.

“As far [back] as six months they have not paid my medical bills. I’m starting to get threatening bill collector notices…So something has to be done there.”

Verschoore said he’s willing to wait to see what Gov. Quinn is proposing before starting to work on the budget. But he’s all but ruling out a tax increase. Verschoore said he doesn’t see how the governor can get a tax hike through the General Assembly.

I fully support paying the bills, but shouldn’t our officials have realized and cared about this problem long before it affected them personally? If the state were a private company Verschoore would not be looking for his medical bills to get paid he would be looking for a new job because the state would be out of business. Verschoore from the looks of his website seems adamantly opposed to tax and fee increases of any kind. If Verschoore is against spending cuts and against tax increases to raise revenue I think something is going to need to change in his stance in order to “pay the bills”.

Elected officials are meant to work for their electorate and not worry and plan on how they will get elected again. The frustration level among “common people” is rising. Hope that things can be fixed is turning into frustration and doubt. As I said before I have limited knowledge of the state budget but if revenue needs to be increased by the state to make things work then get it done, but I also have to believe that some spending can be reduced or cut. Families across the state have reformulated their budgets to reduce debt and make ends meet, why our elected officials can’t do the same with our tax money is unbelievable.

On a more local level the state currently owes Columbia over $190,000. I think our local officials should strive to limit unneeded spending and live within our means. The council will begin discussing the budget next week Monday, February 22.