Illinois residents know the dire straits of our state’s financial outlook. Facing a growing deficit of an estimated $12 billion, the outlook looks particularly bleak unless dramatic changes can be made.
Local agencies such as the Vermilion County Health Department, local school districts and others feel the pinch caused by the state’s inability to pay its bills and meet its funding commitments as promised.
Many people looked forward to Wednesday’s State of the State address by Gov. Pat Quinn in the hopes he would outline a recovery plan.
It just didn’t happen.
Instead, Illinois residents heard a rather rambling, vague presentation that touched on many topics — including Quinn’s assertion he was the only governor to be named “Mr. Soybean” — except the most critical one involving the state’s finances.
Quinn, who became governor after Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment — finds himself in a tough primary fight. Maybe that’s what caused him to speak in generalities instead of specifics.
If that’s the case, the situation represents the real problem within Illinois government. Its elected representatives appear to be solely concerned about their re-election even at the cost of driving the state to financial ruin.
The deficit and inability to meet its commitments are not surprises. The debt has built during the past several years, with session after session of the Legislature failing to do its duty to remedy the situation.
Tough decisions lie ahead. Huge cuts in state services must be considered if Illinois is to have any hope of rescuing its financial ship of state.
Residents look to the governor in such situations for leadership, for the outline of a specific plan and for a call to action. Instead, they got “Mr. Soybean.”
Changes — tough, unpleasant changes — must be made to fix the state’s problems. The time to start is today.
