Late fee situation crushing the state

I read with interest how former Gov. Jim Edgar is a partner in Illinois Financing Co., a company that advances money to vendors that are not being paid by the state. In exchange, it will keep late fees that the state owes those vendors. The state has a backlog of unpaid bills that tops $8 billion because of the budget situation.

I know of a retiree who had to place 14 monthly calls to his hospital to reset his account, so that he did not have to shell out the cash to the vendor. My retired state rep informed me that she had to front over $15,000 to her doctor, who did not want to be a vendor who had to wait for his payment.

With late fees running as high as 9 percent, this state financial mess is causing taxpayers millions in unnecessary expenses. The need for a financial company to protect the vendor from a delinquent state is just not right.

This late fee situation has been in effect for years, not days. Please help. Who can stop this and when?

Jim Lentz

Wheaton