Quinn is letting down Illinois

Gov. Quinn has been in a slide to the bottom as the worst governor in the country ever since taking office. Now after his delusional (we’re “turning the situation around”) State of the State address and just released feckless budget proposal, he has outdistanced all his other contenders, even Jerry Brown (Gov. Moonbeam) of hapless Calif.

Gov. Quinn’s administrative incompetence has been recognized by Moody’s Investor Service recently reducing Illinois’ credit rating to dead last among 50 states. Corporate executives have gone from rating Illinois as the eighth best state for business five years ago to being 48th today.

Illinois has become, along with Greece, the object of political ridicule.

The governor appears beholden to certain agendas (sacred cows) when submitting his budget. Lest we forget the last election, labor unions rallied to his candidacy and their all-out push in Cook County swung the election.

He promised the voters last election that he would veto a tax increase that exceeded a one percent rate increase. He flat-out lied. Even worse, he was the one most instrumental in pushing for the higher rate. Worse yet, he didn’t wait to take his case to the newly elected legislators but bribed and bullied the lame duck session into passing his increases.

Was this shared sacrifice? Hardly. Taxpayers and businesses are fleeing Illinois. Large companies that threaten to leave Illinois receive exemptions. Smaller companies and those invested in the state, the very people Gov. Quinn claims to champion, are left to bear the full brunt of his tax policies.

Pat Quinn may not have broken any written laws. But he has betrayed the citizens of Illinois and worst yet passed on the burdens of his convoluted mismanagement to our children, grandchildren, and into posterity. Andrew Ertmanis

Libertyville