Officials can't, won't solve our problems
I was hesitant to write this commentary for fear that it would be misconstrued as my not understanding the challenges facing many of the people in Lake County, but the information taken from recent news reports embodies what I see as the biggest problem currently facing our society. A substantial portion of our voting population is waiting for someone or something (charity or government) to help them. To be blunt, there is nobody or nothing out there that cares more about you than you do, and it's up to you to take care of yourself. What people need are good-paying jobs, and for anyone willing to work hard, learn and be a contributing member of their employer's team (regardless of their past, race or education level) to have a chance to make a decent living. Instead of the message of the a recent walk-a-thon was to donate money, write letters to lawmakers, and deliver food to the hungry. The message should be to demand that voters pay attention to what our elected leaders are doing and to demand accountability. Our leaders have chased employers (and the jobs that go with them) out of the state, and devised taxes, rules and fees that discourage companies from coming to Illinois. Waste and fraud in the services provided by government are well-known. We don't need to spend more on government, we need to spend less on it and have it get out of the way of the people who are willing to work hard and risk their own money for the chance to have a successful venture that creates jobs and that might support them into retirement. This is a far better scenario than having the government tax working people, and then rely on that same government to take care of individuals (Medicare, Social Security) later on. We all know what's happening with these social services. Is that really a good investment?
Gov. Quinn is quoted recently as saying that cuts in the state budget will lead to 100,000 not having insurance, as if we should be outraged. If our mindset is that we should all expect government to help us, it would be an outrage. I'm outraged that we have 100,000 in need of assistance! I'm outraged that our elected officials can't think past raising taxes and fees, and create a positive economic environment in Illinois so that there are good-paying jobs for those who want to be a working, contributing member of society!
I'm all for marches and demonstrations to raise the awareness of important issues. To me, the most important issue of our time is to change the way people think about personal responsibility and the current role of government. Regardless of which party is in control, we have to consider if what the government has been doing is working, and if it isn't, demand substantive change that then minimizes the role of government.
Keith Gray
Mettawa