Wake up Illinois

Readers warning: Political commentary ahead.


News from the state of Illinois has not been very positive this year. Bickering, infighting and money grabbing and fed up constituents. Soaring gas prices, job loss, etc, etc.

Financing woes of the state has transpired into jeopardizing the future of the Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Department and the University of Illinois Extension departments. For months, the soil and water departments have learned that the money allocated (or promised, set aside) for them this year has not been paid and is not going to.

Where is the money going? And what needful item or department is the state going to withhold money from next? Schools? Farm Subsidies? Ethanol credits? Welfare? Social security? Health care?

Why aren’t our legislators and congressmen doing something?

Why aren’t WE doing something?

Why aren’t we calling and writing letters and emails and contacting anyone and everyone to tell them to work together? Stop working on political impulses and get some sense into Chicago! (Oh, I’m sorry. The capital is in Springfield.)

Wake up Illinois, we can no longer just sit on our “blessed assurance” and believe that if we just ignore it, it will all go away. We can’t get discouraged that our phone call/letter/email didn’t create instant change. Our government doesn’t work that way. BUT if I keep making comments and calling and encourage my neighbors to call and my relatives to call, someone will hear. And I surely will be working come election time to seek out the best candidate and help him or her win. This is important. Our government works best when we participate, we engage, we think about what we are voting for.

My message to our “leaders” in Springfield is to think hard about what is best for the state and not what’s best for the party, no matter which party.

My message for the rest of us? Call, write, think.