Lake County Gazette

Republican state House candidate Chris Bos wonders what it will take for Democrats in Springfield to change their destructive ways.

“I think it’s reckless, foolish and absurd that they continue to tax and spend in the midst of one of the great financial crisis,” Bos, an Ela Township trustee running against incumbent state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, told the Lake County Gazette. “It’s just maddening that with all that’s happening they would come together to produce a budget like this, then actually celebrate doing so.”

The $42 billion budget was approved by Democrats during a recent four-day special session in Springfield. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is now almost certain to sign off on it, even though it heavily relies on funding from the federal government to fill gaps made even steeper by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also clears the path for a $5 billion loan that would also come from the federal government.  

“All these so-called funds from the federal government are no guarantee,” Bos said. “You would think that with everything going on, including state revenues being down from last year, our leaders would use this moment to get serious about the direction of this state.”

Bos said he doesn’t see how things can change as long as lawmakers are simply kicking the can down the road and placing more tax burden on the shoulders of generations to come.

“It’s really a dangerous game for them to be assuming that things like the progressive income tax the governor supports is going to pass and produce the revenues they talked about,” he said. As for the lawmakers who support it, it just shows how out-of-touch they are with the people they’re supposed to represent. Year after year, Democrats have gotten away with all this and I’m really just hoping that we’ve reached a tipping-point where people will rise up and say enough.”