Politics will stymie any financial fix

Fence Post is filled with all of the same old ideas to solve the mess we are in - e.g., "cut spending (but not anything that would affect me)." The simple truth is that for decades the people running this state have been putting off paying their bills (borrowing from the teacher pension funds, using the money from the stimulus plan, delaying payments to schools, hospitals and care providers, etc.).

The state does not have enough money because we have the 41st lowest tax rate in the country. We pay 3 percent. We are one of only seven states with a flat income tax ("oops, can't put a graduated tax in because that would affect my donors").

Cook County has a wonderful tax appeal process that last year lowered the assessed value of commercial property by over $150 million. You might recognize most of the names of the attorneys representing the firms appealing their tax bills. They were all on the ballot last month.

We were told years ago the lottery was the answer for paying for education. That concept turned into an accounting scam where the state took the lottery money and put into the education funds and took the same amount out of that account into the general fund.

The whole thing really is never going to be fixed because all that our legislator do is answer to their party heads who give them money to run for their re-election. And their only goal is to get re-elected. And how did this happen?

The general population doesn't vote (25 percent turnout in the primary). Fence Post should not include a single letter on this issue from anyone who didn't vote. I did.

Jack Halpin

Arlington Heights