Change is needed locally, nationally

We are on the verge of losing $4 billion allotted to us in the 2005 federal transportation package for our CTA, RTA and PCE projects because we don't have a capital projects program with matching funds.

We have a huge deficit that we fudge by transferring bills to the following year. We are a year or more behind in paying our share of our Medicaid bills. We are under-funding the government pension systems. We let our governor sweep money from special state accounts, even those to which we contribute (The senate did it again this year.). We don't have money to replace our state police cars. The Department of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Corrections are so under-funded they can't replace needed front-line employees.

So, just what are our legislators doing besides arguing with each other? The senators, led by Terry Link, are enacting vote garnering legislation.

On April 3, state Sen. Terry Link sponsored a bill to expand Family Care to families of four that are uninsured with an income up to $85,000. All the Democrats voted for it and all the Republicans voted against it because there is no money for it. It passed and the Democrats chided the Republicans for being uncaring political obstructionists.

It now goes to the House of Representatives. If they vote it down, it should also stop the deal that allows our governor to sweep the special funds again.

What can we do, you might ask? We can do what Obama and Clinton want us to do. We can vote for a change of most of our senators and representatives in both Illinois and D.C.

Bob Druktanis Lindenhurst