New leadership for a new year

New Years is a time when we try to cast off our old destructive habits, and adopt new, healthy ones. In 2010, I would encourage Illinois voters to resolve to stop electing politicians who spend our tax dollars like Monopoly money, and start electing leaders who will treat our money with respect. We can start by supporting Congressman Mark Kirk in his bid for US Senate.

For far too long, politicians in Washington have been spending money hand over fist, with no regard to the long-term consequences. Witness the pork-stuffed "stimulus" bill that spent nearly $1 trillion, including $2 million for water taxis to an abandoned town, and $500,000 in homeless aid to a city with no reported homeless people. And what have we gotten all that money? An unemployment rate of 10 percent.

Equally outrageous is the special treatment given to Nebraska and Louisiana, $35 million and $100 million, respectively, in Medicaid payments, in order to purchase the votes of their Senators for the Senate health care bill.

Even if it is "business as usual" to buy votes with the taxpayers' money, it doesn't make it right. It is time for a change.

Mark Kirk is an important voice for fiscal sanity and ethical governance in Washington in Washington. He opposed the wasteful stimulus bill. He has consistently sounded the alarm about the damage that our unsustainable spending is doing to our currency and our economy. He takes no earmarks of any kind.

I believe that he is a man I can trust to govern honestly and well. Electing leaders like Mark Kirk is my New Years resolution, and I encourage you to make it yours as well.

We are entering a new decade, let's make a fresh start and seize this opportunity for better government.

Barbara Persenaire

Mount Prospect