Illinois deserves REAL solutions

Governor Blagojevich has proposed the largest-ever tax hike and wants to lease the state lottery. Former gubernatorial candidate Topinka had her massive gambling expansion plan, and House GOP Leader Tom Cross has proposed "selling" thousands of additional gambling positions to casinos. Leaders of BOTH major parties in this state can only think of perpetuating the same failed policies that have put this state into a financial tailspin.

Illinois businesses are facing a crippling gross revenues tax and Illinois taxpayers are bracing to pay through larger fees, higher prices, and increased taxes, all to keep feeding the public education tax-eating beast.

In the meantime, the State Board of Education STILL hasn’t released last year’s annual report cards, so we have no idea what kind of progress they will- or will not- show. What we DO know is that the past years show declining achievement, and any improvements are often due to watered-down standards.

And still, there is not a single mention of any type of reform of a system that is unproductive, unresponsive, and staggeringly expensive. Have these people even wondered if there may just be a better way of educating our kids? Or are they too afraid of the teachers’ unions and their astronomical lobbying and campaign contributions to consider challenging their stranglehold on our kids’ schools?

Illinois entrepreneurs and working families are doing their part; they have continuously provided more and more funding for public education year after year. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to keep up with the desires of those who wish to live off of tax dollars.

The solution is simple: our legislative leaders- regardless of party- must learn to prioritize spending. And they must learn to say "NO" to the tax eaters, starting with the fattest one of them all- the public school system.

They must put their career concerns aside and act in the interest of the taxpayers who are funding state government, and of the future generations of Illinois now trapped in the public education system.

They must look for better, more efficient ways of providing education. They have only to look at the school choice success stories across the country and to read the researched information from a myriad of sources on-line.

The taxpayers deserve REAL relief, and Illinois children deserve the opportunity to get the best education. Currently, they are virtually hostage to a government-monopolized school system that comes at an unsustainable cost while providing scholastic mediocrity.