Letter: State suffering under Democrats' watch

Why should we reelect Pritzker? Under his watch crime is soaring, gasoline taxes have doubled and will continue to increase contributing to record high gas prices and r3cord high inflation. Property taxes remain the highest in the nation. Illinois residents have the second highest overall tax burden in the nation.

Less than half of our public school students can read, write, or do math at grade level. Businesses, jobs, band residents are leaving in droves. He claims he balanced the budget but that is nit true. The FY 2023 budget revenues are $46.4 billion. But that includes $4 billion in federal COVID funds. Budgeted expenses are $45 billion. So, without the federalfunds, expenses exceed normal operating revenues by $3.6 billion. If it weren't for the gift of $4 billion from the federal government, we would have to borrow that amount to meet expenses. That is not a balanced budget, and next year we will start borrowing and raising taxes again.

All of this while he is a Democratic governor with the Democrats having a super majority in both houses of the state legislature. Why would we want thus to continue and probably get worse. We need a change in direction. Fire Pritzker. Elect Bailey and as many Republicans as you can to the state legislature.

John Noll

Naperville