To end graft, voters need to step up

While I certainly agree with the solutions offered by the Daily Herald in its series on how to end graft in Illinois; the Herald failed to place the blame for the graft in Springfield on those most responsible, i.e. the voters.

When there is voter apathy, there will always be political corruption. When there is a 50% voter turnout in state elections, it is considered a big turnout and that is a disgrace. The politicians are not to blame, it is the voters who blindly vote for one party in election after election and those who are too lazy to vote who are to blame.

And lets not forget the editorial boards who complain about political corruption and then in election after election endorse the candidates responsible for the corruption. That is hypocrisy.

Another reason for the corruption in Springfield and Washington, is that there is far too many career politicians. The biggest "porkers" in Washington are those politicians who have been in office for more that 20 years.

That is why term limits would do much to eliminate the corruption found in Springfield and Washington. There is however, a better chance of the Congress achieving a balanced budget than there is of getting term limits.

With only 30 to 40% of eligible voters even bothering to vote, there is little chance that the waste and corruption in government will soon end; and for that we have only ourselves to blame. Most voters cannot even name their state representative and senator.

Victor Darst

West Dundee