The heavy costs of Springfield Circus

The ringmasters of the Springfield Circus are addressing state budget matters in the same way one operates a shell game-making sure the "marks" (the Illinois taxpayers) can't find the shell under which legitimate budget reductions might be found.

Gov. Blagojevich's cynical and calculating approach to budget development is especially grating.

He is foremost among those in Springfield who want to give citizens the idealized form of government he thinks we need.

Although common sense would suggest it, he doesn't want us to have the government we can afford.

None of the ringmasters give any thought to operating the state within the framework of what we can afford.

They seem incapable of differentiating between absolutes and nice-to-haves, and they see no limit to the amount of taxes we can pay.

Second, the governor's budget tactics are shamefully transparent. These include:

• Claiming calamity if cuts aren't made and if new revenues cannot be developed

• Making sure his $1.4 billion in cuts directly affects people in need of health care, education, and social services.

• Reneging on a $37 million promise of support for free transportation for seniors.

• Advocating an expansion of gambling to develop new revenues-even when it is known the revenue will come from those who can least afford to gamble.

Third, despite the state's terrible financial condition, our elected leaders there have chosen to give themselves another raise.

These leaders, who won't really earn the $73,000-plus per year they will get for their part-time jobs as state senators and state representatives, clearly know little about leadership.

Under the current circumstances, real leaders would stand up and say: "I know there is a mechanism in place that allows for a semiautomatic increases in our salary, but given the state's financial condition, this is no time for us to increase our salary."

I developed and managed budgets in public and private organizations for about 35 years.

That experience may not make me an expert on such matters, but I do know enough to spot game-playing and chicanery when I see it-and that is exactly what is going on now in Springfield.

The Springfield Circus isn't entertaining. It's costly. And it is exactly what the taxpayers don't need at this time.

Charles F. Falk

Schaumburg