Mike Madigan is pouring millions of dollars into Democrat races throughout the state to keep his position as Illinois House Speaker. Already nearly $1 million has been spent by Madigan for Sente against Sid Mathias. How can a legislator like Carol Sente represent us if Mike Madigan bought the race for her?
We know that Madigan has absolute control over the General Assembly and a stranglehold over the entire Illinois governmental machinery. Public pensions are in shambles. Under his iron fist, Illinois is now dead last in virtually every economic category. Major employers who want to expand in Illinois won't because of an unstable political climate and unmanageable debt.
Madigan made Illinois the laughingstock of the nation. He raised our income tax by 67 percent in a distressed economy. This is not a record to be proud of. We The People was replaced by Madigan the Powerful because representatives like Sente need his oodles of money to get re-elected.
Fact: The first vote when a new session convenes is for speaker of the House. If there are more House Republicans than Democrats, Mike Madigan will lose his 30-year confiscatory grip and the rules that were implemented by representatives like Sente that give him that control.
Voting Republican for General Assembly seats will be the first step in restoring accountability and fiscal order in Illinois government. I am asking everyone to vote for Republicans Sid Mathias, Mark Shaw and Jonathan Greenberg as your Illinois representatives for positive change.
Eric Burgess
Long Grove
