CHICAGO – If you didn't do your job for three years in a row, would you still have one? Probably not – except maybe if your family owned the business … or if you were an Illinois lawmaker.
But not everyone's shrugging their shoulders in frustration and defeat over the ridiculous state of finances Illinois finds itself in. Illinois Policy Institute is calling for an all out pushback on stubborn Democrat lords – those that refuse to work with Republicans to make systemic changes in order to head the situation towards correction.
While the Chicago media is blaming Governor Rauner for not being a pushover and acquiescing with Lord Madigan's demands, Illinois taxpayers are applauding Republican efforts to get to the root of the issue.
Think of it this way – would you rather have a doctor that puts bandaids on nasty boils and lesions rising to the surface, or would you want a diagnosis and proposed treatment for the infection or cancer that the lesions indicate are below the surface?
The Illinois Policy Institute has posted a petition that allows Illinoisans to voice their opinion. The effort, called "Prioritize Illinoisans Over Lawmakers," explains:
Despite a constitutional requirement to do so, Illinois politicians have not passed a budget for nearly two years. And they have not passed a balanced budget since 2001.
The wording in the Illinois Constitution seems clear: “Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.”
But for years, Illinois lawmakers have skirted around the requirement with borrowing and bad accounting.
And despite not passing a budget for nearly two years, lawmakers continue to be paid due to an ongoing appropriation that guarantees lawmakers get paid whether or not a budget is in place.
Illinois lawmakers are the highest paid legislators in the Midwest, and some of the highest paid in the entire country. For what is considered a part-time job, members of the General Assembly earn a baseline salary of about $68,000 a year.
It’s immoral for lawmakers to prioritize their paychecks over Illinoisans. Lawmaker paychecks should be moved to the back of the line until a budget is passed.
If that's the way you think, sign the petition HERE.
