I have a problem with government when it establishes programs and then does not pay for them. I have an even bigger problem with government when it establishes new programs and it either cannot or will not pay for the programs it has already established. In other words, I have a problem with Illinois politicians.
Illinois politicians are famous, or infamous, for underfunding programs. For example, Illinois politicians do not like paying for Medicaid (probably because not enough poor people vote or make political contributions), so they just lower the amount they will pay on the bills that are submitted or they delay payments. It is a great system, one that I am sure most people wish they could use on their bills.
But it is not just Medicaid. It happens with the state pension program, too. Illinois politicians love to promise big pensions to the state employees, but they do not like to pay for them, so they approve the pensions but do not fund the state pension system to pay for them. Another a great deal. The politicians get thanks from the state workers for providing generous pensions without having raising taxes to pay for them.
Obviously, this is not right, but apparently Illinois politicians do not care. Instead of paying doctors on time for treating indigent patients or paying hospitals a fair amount for the services they perform (it has become so bad some doctors and hospitals are forced to limit the number of Medicaid patients they treat or to not treat them at all because they cannot afford to continue to treat them and not get paid), the legislature just stiffs these people and allocates the money to their own personal slush funds.
Things were bad enough, but then along came Rod Blagojevich. Governor Blagojevich promised not to raise taxes when he ran in 2002, and he knows he cannot go back on that. But this has not stopped him from spending money the state does not have. His theory seems to be: Just because I promised not to raise taxes, does not mean I cannot propose all kinds of new programs. The fact the state cannot even pay for the programs it already has, is no reason for Governor Blagojevich to hold back on new programs. So, at a time when the state is failing to provide adequate funding for new textbooks, such that students are using taped-up textbooks that are ten years old and more (according to one textbook still being used, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the United States’ main rival in the world), Governor Blagojevich proposes new statewide kindergarten programs for three and four-year olds.
This is irresponsible and dishonest. It is irresponsible because governing is more than just press conferences and ribbon cuttings. It is hard work and tough decisions. You have to figure out how to pay for things you need and how to do without what you cannot afford. Paying for Medicaid and new textbooks may not be glamorous or big vote-getters, but that is what governing is all about.
It is dishonest because if you are governor or a legislator and you want the state to do something, you have to make sure the state can pay for it. You should not propose new programs until the state can pay for the old ones. And if you are not willing to raise taxes, then be honest with the people as to what the state is not going to be able to do because it does not have the money.
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