Quinn the Eskimo

"Come all without come all within, you'll not see nothing like the mighty" Governor Quinn???

Just so we can get this straight, right from the beginning, I am a skeptic of both sides.  Okay so with that said, it's time for an analogy of - Is Illinois better off with a Democratic Governor, then say Wisconsin, with their freshman Tea Party Governor?

Illinois has the 5th highest debt burden in the country.  A whopping $15 billion dollars defecit is expected for 2012.  Currently, the state has stopped paying its bills, and is $4 billion behind, owing over 114 different companies money.  Individual income taxes have also worsened woes, increasing 67% from 3 to 5%, and corporation income taxes rose 30% to become the fourth highest in the US.  

The unemployment has lingered around 9% for months, and over a 100 businesses are left deciding if they will hit the road, once their tax cuts end in the upcoming months.  

The situation has looked hopeless for our state, as we see bills are being postponed, and businesses are picking up and moving.  On July 1st, Governor Quinn signed a new general revenue funds budget, and was approved by Illinois House of Representatives.  Cuts included started with Medicaid, which was to have $276 billion cut to low income patients at hospitals and clinics.  Next up was school transportation cuts, which he trimmed $89 million from the budget, and excused this by stating the "I am relying on parents and local school districts to arrange transportation to and from school".  As the last big hit, Governor Quinn cut $11 million to the salaries at regional school superintendent offices.

All these austerity measures seem necessary, and we the people can surely work together to reduce our defecit, for the better of the nation.  Did I happen to mention, although Governor Quinn deemed it necessary to cut $89 million from transportation to schools and to rely on parents and schools districts, Mr. Quinn also deemed it necessary to give $34 million dollars to the Navy Pier project to the City of Chicago.  The ties that bind in Chicago, are obviously made of steel, and therefore can never be broken.  Illinoisans can think of our shared sacrifice, and the beauty of Navy Pier, when we are driving back and forth to our local schools.  

How does this candle hold up to Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin?  Governor Walker slashed over $1.25 billion dollars from the state's budget.  Starting with $834 million dollar cuts from state aid to schools, $500 million from the state's Medicaid budget, $250 million dollars worth of cuts to public higher education, not to mention cuts to public employees health care and retirement contributions.  The unemployment, over 7%, is expected to worsen with the new budget cuts and layoffs.  In Milwaukee alone, they have laid off 519 employees from their public schools.  The Wisconsin people are not too happy about the so called shared sacrifices, and have fought back with recall elections.  

When you hold apples to apples up next to each other, at first it is hard to decide.  You look at them both, and examine them carefully, and then finally decide that both apples started from the same seed.  They both seem a lot a like in many ways, but can taste completely different.  At least Illinoisans get a clear picture of Navy Pier, in Chicago, when we think about the apple tree.

Remember, we ALL matter, and get up, stand up, but please…do something!