Politicians still waste our tax money

As usual, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago and the Cook County Board have all once again shown that they have less fiscal competence than a 5 year old who was taught one, to save up the money you require so you'll have it later when needed and two, don't spend money you don't have.

With their long history of greed, graft and corruption, these sleazy entities are once again pretending to have money they don't have.

Or they ignore huge debts like pension plans for state employees, which have escalated for decades as politicians assumed our economy would grow forever, along with home values, the stock market, etc.

Now that the economic manure has hit the fan, our governmental bodies are still giving out scholarships to kids of connected politicians like lollipops.

Also, they now give free medical care, even to illegal alien children in Illinois. And the corrupt letting of state, city and county contracts to connected companies goes on unabated.

This is not a Republican or Democrat problem. They both do it and are doing it.

It is a quid pro quo. When it comes to theft and violating the public's trust, there is no one party responsible.

So while both sides of the political aisle sit in Springfield or Chicago or Cook County and argue over the money pie, I have decided to make as much of that pie as I can disappear.

I make one big shopping list and go to Kane County or McHenry County stores to fill it every two weeks and another family goes with us in the station wagon.

If we buy stereo, camera, or other lightweight, high value items, we now order them from stores in other states and have them shipped to us. The tax savings is always much more than the shipping charges on these items.

Maybe if everyone did this, our Illinois politicians might wake up.

That is, if they stop arguing long enough to notice that the pie they are fighting over is disappearing.

James Peterson

Hoffman Estates