Politicians can't sugarcoat Illinois' dire straits

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Politicians can't sugarcoat Illinois' dire straits

24, 2010

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist

When ce Msall walked into the state Capitol in Springfield on Tuesday

morning, I figured it would be like the skunk showing up at the garden party.

Accurate?

" Yep, " Msall said by cell phone. " I was greeted with 'Are you here to raise my

taxes?' "

Msall, 48, is the head of a Chicago's Civic Federation, a venerable,

nonpartisan, pro-business, pretty conservative outfit that keeps tabs on

government and how it handles our money.

Before this job, he worked for Republican Governors Jim Edgar and

doing economic development.

So, in plain English, Msall cannot be written off as a left-leaning,

tax-and-spend liberal.

That's what made his mission all the more meaningful.

And the politicians/lawmakers down in Springfield were acutely aware of the

Civic Federation's doomsday report issued Monday. In it, Msall's group said

flatly that Illinois is financially heading over a cliff. That we must cut more

than $2 billion from the state budget, reduce pensions and benefits for new

state workers and raise the income tax.

At that, we'll still be in the hole by a couple of billion. But at least we can

salvage our bond rating and borrowing power to live to fight another day.

The Civic Federation is not alone in telling politicians they have to face up to

the terrible mess they've made of this state. The Center for Tax and Budget

Accountability has issued its own warnings. So has the Civic Committee of the

Commercial Club.

How bad is it getting?

As Msall was driving Downstate, he said, " I heard on the radio about Oswego

cutting 80 school district employees. "

That would be the school district represented by House Republican leader Tom

Cross.

Republicans are loath to raise taxes, especially in an election year. Democrats

are loath to cut employee pensions and benefits.

But there is no time to delay a massive dose of tough medicine.

" You might be able to get by for another six months, " Msall said.

" But you might not. "

Still, people in Illinois are not sure they're buying this doomsday descriptor

despite the non-political fiscal experts who are delivering it.

Why not?

" Government doesn't touch people, " said Yepsen, matter-of-factly.

Yepsen is the head of the Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern

Illinois University. For 36 years before that, he was a legendary political

reporter and columnist for the Des Moines Register.

" Most people are not using health care for the poor, do not have kids in school,

don't go to a courthouse very often, aren't in prison or work as a prison guard

.. . . so most people don't see this, and it doesn't touch them, " Yepsen said.

" Secondarily, the leaders in this state have no credibility. "

Polling by the Simon Institute bears out the sad fact that unlike the citizens

of other states, Illinois residents feel they get more value from the feds far

away in Washington than they do from their homegrown state and local

governments.

There is, Yepsen said, " a real intersection between ethics and this budget mess.

There are few states where people are more down on their politicians. "

Other states have done better.

Iowa, for instance, Yepsen notes, has swallowed a bitter pill and cut spending

10 percent across the board.

But in Illinois, we've deferred our problems until it's almost too late. Like in

Downstate County, for instance, where all the squad cars were recently

repossessed, and 75 percent of the sheriff's department was laid off. Imagine.

Every day lawmakers wait, every day they keep behaving like politicians instead

of leaders, it only puts us ever closer to the edge of the cliff.