Unite the Republican Party, save Illinois

Illinois is a disaster and I hope to help save it. After the surprise resignation of Tim Schneider as chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, the opportunity to help lead Republicans in presenting a new vision for Illinois governance in 2022 was too important for me to pass up.

And that's exactly what we must do as a party. As Illinois Republicans, we must present voters a better path for our state. A responsible path that, in time, will rescue Illinois from financial ruin, economic decline and historic population losses.

For the last two decades, Illinois has been mismanaged by a Democratic Party that caters to and works almost exclusively for government insiders, lobbyists, public sector unions and trial lawyers. The consequences have been devastating.

While the political ruling class has been thriving, everyday Illinoisans have been struggling. I believe that strong families are the bedrock of a well-functioning society. But in Illinois, they are pummeled year after year by an incompetent state government more interested in indoctrinating their children with "progressive viewpoints" than efficiently providing basic services. Illinois Republicans must stand with them and put forth ideas that tangibly improve their lives and save Illinois from further decline.

Because the stakes are so high in 2022, we have a duty as all Illinois Republicans to be united behind a bigger, better vision for our state.

A fractured Illinois Republican Party focused on continuing past disputes means J.B. Pritzker wins a second term. A circular firing squad among Republicans means the Madigan Machine continues to stay in power. Most importantly, if we falter under the weight of internal division, working families throughout Illinois will continue to suffer under Democrat rule.

A united Illinois Republican Party can lead with a message of reform on the issues most people care about, centered on five pillars.

First, we must end the scourge of public corruption plaguing our state. Illinois Republicans should lead the way in proposing tough anti-corruption and ethics reforms that end the culture of self-dealing by government insiders. Mike Madigan may no longer be speaker, but his model of absolute power by any means necessary must be dismantled completely with reforms such as term limits and "Fair Maps."

Second, Illinois Republicans must be on the side of fiscal sanity in state budgeting. Illinois is in the throes of a fiscal crisis decades in the making. We should begin the long,

hard slog out of financial ruin by living within our means, passing balanced budgets and enacting pension reform. No more fake budgets, no more overspending and no more pension holidays.

Third, Illinois Republicans should focus on how to make it more affordable for families to live in Illinois. Our property taxes are outrageous, our overall tax burden is among the worst in the nation and Democrats plan on ending our school choice tax credit scholarship program at a time when children are being shut out of public schools. Illinois voters sent a strong message last year voting down Pritzker's progressive tax scheme. We stand with Illinois voters who are sick of bailing out career politicians from their failures.

Fourth, Illinois Republicans must stand on the side of job creators and small businesses. Illinois should be the economic powerhouse of the Midwest, but we languish behind our neighbors as people and businesses flee our borders looking for lower taxes, less regulation and a state government not actively waging war against them. We will never solve our multitude of challenges without growth.

And finally, Illinois Republicans must speak to the public's most basic desire to feel safe in their communities. The last few years the left has been denigrating our police and watching silently as rioters and looters ransack our cities. In Chicago, for example, carjackings were up an astounding 283 percent in January and the city's leadership doesn't seem to care. We must stand for law and order and with the men and women sworn to protect us.

It's my strong belief that moderate suburban mothers, business executives, union workers and conservative downstate farmers - a diverse coalition of anyone - can rally behind this message of anti-corruption, fiscal sanity, lower taxes, economic growth and support for law and order. And more importantly, it's my strong belief that these reforms will help turn Illinois around.

Illinois Republicans - let's work together, align our efforts and get focused on the right stuff. Saving Illinois in 2022 requires it.

• Don Tracy, a businessman and attorney from Springfield, is the Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.