Reps should follow call for term limits

On March 27, I attended the less than transparent town hall hosted by Senator Michael Connelly of Naperville and Representative Jeanne Ives of Wheaton about the state of the state.

They painted a dark picture of Illinois, filled with outrageous claims (Illinois is third in the nation for funding higher ed, when multiple state universities are on the brink of collapse because they haven't been funded properly since Rauner became governor), alternative facts (the Governor was not involved in letting the temporary income tax expire, when he, in fact, asked the legislature to let it expire), and frequent skewing of facts (touting an Amazon fulfillment center built in Wisconsin as a lesson to Illinois, and conveniently not mentioning the several fulfillment centers recently built in our area).

They used big scary numbers to describe the pension liability without providing context or evidence to support their claims. They tried to create the impression that the total amount was due imminently. They were impervious to any suggestion that taxes, in particular income taxes (which are among the lowest in the nation), should be raised. They clearly displayed their fealty to the Illinois Policy Institute and the Koch Brothers instead of to their constituents.

They had several shills in the audience, asking obviously scripted questions that supported their platform, and were condescending and arrogant to legitimate concerns voiced by others. They offered no path forward, other than to keep holding the budget hostage to the Governor's demands. I encourage Mr. Connelly and Mrs. Ives to embrace the governor's call for term limits and step aside at the end of their terms, and let us send others to Springfield who will represent their constituents instead of the Illinois Policy Institute and the Koch Brothers.

Nancy Hans

Naperville