Sense, compassion will fix budget mess
I am tired of both the people who say no new taxes period and the politicians who play games with the lives of the citizens of Illinois who are least able to help themselves. The first group needs to wake up and realize if you want or need something you have to pay for it. That applies to government just like it does to your household budget. Who pays for what government provides? You and me through our taxes. The State of Illinois has bills it must pay and other services it must support. Our legislators know this, but pretend it isn't true. They want to blame everyone but themselves for the current Illinois budget crisis. My message to all the legislators and the governor is FIRST: Stop the political posturing. SECOND: Go through the budget, line by line if necessary, and eliminate all the NICE TO HAVES (including those projects each legislator got to fund in their district). THIRD: Eliminate the NEED, BUT CAN WAIT items. FOURTH: Determine what is needed to MAINTAIN NECESSARY SERVICES especially those in the Departments of Health and Human Service and Public Health. Then pass a tax increase which will get the state back to solvency in a reasonable period of time. FIFTH: Determine what part of that tax increase can be temporary and what part must continue in order for the state to maintain a balanced budget with reasonable and needed increases in state programs and services. As soon as possible fund the need-but-can-wait items eliminated earlier to get us out of debt. SIXTH: Don't try to fix the problems with anything that has cost attached to it.
Please resolve this ridiculous impasse. Please do not allow the devastation of services to those who cannot do for themselves such as the developmentally disabled. One way to reduce the costs of disability services is to begin implementing the blueprint which both houses of the legislature by resolution approved in concept. This plan will close costly state institutions in favor of much less expensive community integration of the developmentally disabled.
My developmentally disabled son needs to be in a community setting, not a state center. He needs to feel he has a place in and is important to society. This is his right. Even at its best institutional living is dehumanizing.
Mary F. Nordstrom
Fox Lake