Do your homework before you vote
Election rhetoric is filling mail, in boxes and flat screens. What are we to believe concerning conditions in Illinois? What really is the state of the state? What can we do to make a difference?
Fortunately, a study of state financial management was just released to help us answer those questions. The study's evaluation principles have been recognized by state governments to evaluate the efficiency of their own organizations. The results among the best and worst run states in America using debt rating agency reports to violent crime rates, unemployment trends and median income, notes our state of Illinois ranks 43rd.
Sources for the data prepared by 24/7 Wall St., an analytical organization for investors, came from the Bureau of Labor Statics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Standards & Poor's and the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Comments regarding Illinois' low ranking noted high unemployment, high debt per capita, poor fiscal governance and the second worst S&P credit rating granted to all the states.
What about the future? That depends on the choices you make. Are you going to cast a ballot and vote intelligently for our future? According to a coalition of concerned Illinois organizations and citizens, the answer must be REAL reform of our state budget and our obsolete public retirement systems.
The Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago recommends we contact our elected officials and candidates specifying the criteria we will use when making choices this election. The committee recommends no new taxes without major budget cuts, reform of Illinois' pension system, retiree health care reform and cost-sharing, and a realistic plan to balance the state's budget.
Turn a deaf ear to the rhetoric, learn the facts by visiting www.illinoisisbroke.comand and vote wisely when choosing your gubernatorial and legislative representatives for the future.
Mike Tennis
Sleepy Hollow
Registered CPA