Illinois needs a turnaround team

The State of the State is a massive loss of manufacturers and jobs in the private sector and a public sector that is sickly bulimic, borrowing, spending and living way beyond the means of the private sector supporting their ill ways. It is enough to make us Illinois taxpayers throw up.

How can a state that just lost 709 manufacturers last year - causing the loss of 52,000 jobs representing 5.7 percent of the state's industrial employment - possibly consider a tax increase? How many more businesses and jobs do our state elected officials want to shutter or flee from the state's economy before the state defaults on their debt?

The state is already grossly delinquent on $5 billion of trade debt. After the recent $3.5 billion funding, borrowed funds rose to $12 billion and are projected to escalate to $13.7 billion by the time we taxpayers get to voice our opinion in the general elections. Meanwhile, the private sector continues to shrink with year over year declines in sales and income tax revenue of $875 million.

This has got to stop now. Before the "tax" word is uttered again our elected officials need to honestly go on the record specifying their proposed deep spending cuts. Beyond the rhetoric they need to execute those cost reduction initiatives. When? How about before the Feb. 2 primary so it is clear to all that state elected officials will exercise their fiduciary duty and deserve to be re-elected.

Incumbents who espouse tax increases before demonstrable spending cuts should clear out their Springfield desks. We taxpayers are looking to hire a turnaround team. Elected officials, who can begin to cultivate a business friendly environment, stimulate job growth that will generate incremental sales and income tax revenue without burdensome rate or fee increases.

Mike Tennis

Sleepy Hollow