Springfield must be held accountable

I have attended many school board meetings in my day, but the meeting on March 15 in U-46 was one of the saddest I have ever seen.

In the Daily Herald's report on March 16, I so appreciate the words of Joe McCain: "At the end of it all, it's the fault of us all. I ask everyone, is this how we want to decide who leads our children?"

I have been actively involved with the massive push across the state of Illinois for years to change the way schools are funded. My own two children are grown, one helping to raise another young man that will soon not be receiving the quality education that I know Illinois is capable of providing.

Our lawmakers in Springfield need to be held accountable. The system is so completely broken that laws are not made with representing the people in mind. Oh no, in reality, most of what happens in Springfield is a political calculation about the next election.

Folks, politics is the only language that is understood in Springfield, and it is only smart that we use the same language to send a clear message, that this is not the leadership we want or deserve for our communities.

This is the year that we can send them a resounding wake-up call. If your representative says "no" to a solution that responsibly balances the state's budget and fully funds education and social services, they need to be removed from office.

We need to elect leaders that have enough courage to do the right thing, even though it is often a tough thing to do. Our children deserve nothing less.

Laurel Bault

Elgin