Letter: State has little money left for colleges

Responding to a recent letter writer's endorsement of State Rep. Michelle Mussman and the need to make funding of higher education a priority, I would ask:

How would the state of Illinois pay for increased university funding? Approximately 25 percent of revenue is directed toward the underfunded public pension system. A large majority of the remaining revenue goes to satisfy court-mandated budget items.

That leaves little for discretionary budget spending.

Currently this dysfunctional Illinois statehouse cannot agree on adequate funding of the K-12 school system.

As a college senior, should you remain a "proud Illinoisan"? Please write back in 10 to 20 years of having this state extract and mismanage your tax dollars.

State Rep. Mussman, walking in lock step with Speaker Michael Madigan, is more part of the problem than the solution. The recent tax increase will do little to solve the Illinois financial crisis. This state does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.

Richard Plegge

Palatine