Wants a vote on state spending

I recently read in the Opinion Page “A starting point to cut state spending.”

Thank you, Daily Herald, for the daily wake-up calls. Salaries at $31,426 for tollway board members? Yikes! In the private sector, board members usually are volunteers dedicated to the cause.

What in the wide world of taxes is going on? Debt and careless spending are now institutionalized; and we feel helpless to stop it. It seems that politicians’ best interest is to keep their jobs and be re-elected. They build networks of patronage, like the tollway board members, which require money — our money.

Would you invite some nice trustworthy folks into your home to spend your paycheck on things they think you need? Our nice trustworthy politicians in our big home in Springfield are doing just that with our tax money. What a disaster. They need our help.

This is what I propose. The items funded by our state tax dollars would be listed on a ballot. We would vote annually on them, rating them from most important to cut spending. The results will be given to our leaders in Springfield who will channel their energies accordingly. This may seem a drastic step to take to help our state’s financial problems, but don’t you think we would make wise decisions at the voting booth? After all, it’s our money.

Karen Masus

St. Charles