Some solutions for state budget

I keep hearing the Democrats complain that the Republicans haven't identified any spending cuts and the Republicans complaining about the Democratic proposed tax increases.

First, tax all bribes to state officials at a minimum of 25 percent.

With the weak ethics bill passed recently, that might be enough to cut half the deficit. After that, identify those areas of redundant services and eliminate the least efficient.

You don't have to fire all of those redundant employees however. A number of them go after any doctor, hospital, or patient who is cheating the state and federal government out of money by filing spurious claims. I believe that there is not enough fat in our spending to reduce the $7 - $11 billion dollar deficit (I vote for $7 billion, it's lower) but if the Illinois Senate and House could identify and remove $1 - 2 billion in waste, I think that the citizens of Illinois would be shocked and maybe just a little bit more amenable to a tax increase. The key word is remove there, legislators. Right now, both parties and both the House and the Senate are a joke. The only problem is that they are such a bad joke, no one is laughing.

David Krein

Schaumburg