A plan to fill state budget hole
In the March 19 Daily Herald, Gov. Quinn that asks lawmakers what programs/costs would you cut? Here are some cost cutting measures I would like to see:
1. How about the collective House and Senate standing together and taking an across-the-board 15 percent pay cut for the next two years. That is less than what taxpayers in the private sector are facing in their jobs, that is those who still have jobs. (We don't get annual cost of living increases either). While they're at it, how about eliminating those "do nothing" committees they invented to inflate the salaries for the chairmen of these committees? Mr. Madigan indicated everyone should be able to chair a committee ... why? Let's reduce the other committees as well and return the chairmen to just being a regular legislator representing his or her district.
2. Submit an amendment to the State Constitution that will change the pensions benefits of current employees to be more in line with those of us still employed in the private sector. Most of us have no pensions to look forward to, and have seen our retirement plans decimated by more than 50 percent. Why should those feeding at the public trough reap benefits that their employers (ie taxpayers) do not get? More to the point, why should they be protected from absorbing any losses and reductions? I contribute 18 percent to my retirement, why are state workers required to contribute only 4 percent and teachers 9.4 percent? Why should taxpayers be liable to finance the balance, and then watch as these same abusers run up their salaries in their last 5 years of service to reap even greater retirement dollars? Why am I required to work until I am 67 and these people can retire at 55 and collect 80 percent of their annual salary? This is insanity and can no longer be placed not the backs of taxpayers and if that amendment were put to the voting population there would be overwhelming support for the reductions and revisions.
3. Let's identify, detain and deport the million plus illegal immigrants and their ANCHOR BABIES from our state. The jobs they have taken belong to the laid off, legal residents of this state. I for one am tired of my property taxes and other taxes being continuously raised to provide a free education for these lawbreakers' children, seeing them piled en masse in emergency rooms and food pantries, reaping subsidized housing assistance, free lunch programs for their anchor babies and medical care at my expense. Their complete disregard for our country's laws and culture are an affront and they should not be afforded "rights" they are not entitled to and have not earned as so many bleeding hearts advocate, i.e. LaRaza and other organizations for protection of these lawbreakers.
4. The private sector is cutting jobs at a pace unseen in decades, time for our bloated state and local payrolls to do the same. Reduce the state work force by 3 to 5 percent and make it across the board. No exemptions for anyone in any branch of the government.
5. It was painful to see the cuts the former Gov. Jim Edgar put in place to balance the state budget during his years as our governor. The cuts were made and we survived, as did the schools and seniors and others. It's amazing how quickly one can make due with less. So no sacred cows or untouchables, share the pain equally and cut all expenditures by 10 to 20 percent.
These suggestions may not entirely eliminate the $11 billion plus hole our state is in, but the people directly responsible for this mess should be the ones stepping up with ways to fill it, and that would be the very legislators and public workers and unions that contributed to the fiscal irresponsibility we are now faced with. This needs to be done before you even think of coming to us taxpayers with your hands out!
Cindy Bandur
Island Lake