We must adhere to duty of citizenship

We are citizens of a state with falling credit ratings, crushing debt service, lack of funding for schools, loss of vital services to the most vulnerable, and the huge backlog of unpaid bills impacting vendors who provided goods and services to the state, therefore, to us.

There is blame to go around from entrenched Democratic leadership to a stubborn Republican governor. However, we elected members of the House, the Senate, the governor. We pay their salaries, but we have been negligent as we've let our state sink deeper into debt, not living up to the responsibilities of our citizenship.

Legislators say they need to hear from us. Are you timid about calling your legislator? You probably were timid the first day of your first job but you showed up. You were undoubtedly timid the first time you took your driving test but you did it. You were beyond timid when you spoke in that speech class in high school. But you spoke. Pick up the phone, call.

These solutions may be worth a mention on that call, with thanks to the Illinois League of Women Voters:

• Reinstate the temporary income tax rate increase that expired in January 2015.

• Broaden the sales tax to include an array of services, such as those of our bordering

states of Iowa and Wisconsin.

• Tax retirement income, while exempting a reasonable and fair amount of that income to

make such tax less regressive.

• Refinance the state's debt and pension obligations.

• Pass a financial transactions tax in recognition of that growing sector of our economy.

. Do not freeze property taxes, which support schools and local governments.

Can they hear us now?

Julie Sass

Elk Grove Village