We're all paying price for stubborn Democrats'

It seems like every other day, there is another letter to the editor blaming Gov. Rauner for the budget crisis in Illinois, as if he is the cause of it, or he alone is able to fix it but isn't doing so.

If we go back a few years before Mr. Rauner took office, there are telling statements in The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Quinn was labeled "America's worst governor." The Illinois economy was labeled the poorest performing in the Great Lakes region. They stated that Illinois had the worst pension mess in America.

Upon Mr. Rauner's election, the WSJ stated that he faces perhaps the most daunting task of any governor in the country. Illinois has the nation's worst credit rating, most insolvent pension system and barely any job growth. All this with a 67 percent tax increase that Mr. Quinn and Mr. Madigan pushed through in a lame duck session.

This tax increase undoubtedly would have been made permanent had Mr. Quinn won re-election.

It's way beyond time for Mr. Madigan and the Democrats to recognize the dire financial situation Illinois is in and work with Mr. Rauner to help fix it. I just get the feeling they are willing to let this go along for three more years in the hope a Democrat will be elected as governor.

We're all paying the price for this.

John Pirog

Palatine