I think we are just fed up

While having lunch with Ruth today, we were talking about the state of Illinois and the financial problems schools and social service agencies are having because the state is not paying its bills.

This state's finances are a mess. Admittedly, a lot of other states are having the same problem because of the economic downturn. Less funds are coming in via taxes and fees and when less is coming in, some bills just don't get paid.

But the people being hurt by the state not paying its bills are the people who need the most: children and working (or working poor) families.

There is a feeling among many people that I've talked to, and from bits and pieces I have heard in the media, that the only thing left to do is increase income tax. You've heard the political ads already, that "so-and-so wants to increase the income tax by 50 percent."

The thing is, an income tax increase has been bandied about for years, but when the economy wasn't in the tank, no one took it seriously. Two or three "Blue Ribbon Task Force" committees have suggested a 1 percent increase in Illinois income tax to pay for schools.

I am not going to go into the "isn't the lottery supposed to be paying for schools" debate, because if you still believe that, you are just ignorant.

There are also those who've suggested that the state is playing games by not paying its bills, so that the electorate will be more accepting when/if an income tax increase happens.

But, here is the thing. Until the lawmakers understand that we've had enough, the electorate is never going to accept that increase. Until insiders are no longer paid salaries to serve on boards that meet once or twice a year, until we don't hear about "pay for play" and about the Toddler putting one of his relatives on the Cook County payroll, until the last unqualified person is fired from their high-paying state job, the state isn't going to get one more penny out of us.

I heard a politician say last year (and no, I don't remember who it was) that they could get rid of all of those issues and still not have enough to pay the bills. Yeah, and? It might not be enough to solve the problem, but at least then we'd have enough faith in our lawmakers to give them more, knowing that it wouldn't be wasted on padding their pockets.