Lake County Gazette

Republican state House candidate Chris Bos seems convinced corruption in Springfield has fallen to levels not seen before in the sordid world of Illinois politics.

“It’s gotten to the point where you have individuals that are now literally robbing taxpayers for their own selfish interests,” Bos, who is now running against incumbent state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, told the Lake County Gazette.

“We need to elect officials that are going to stand up against that corruption,” he added. “It starts with demanding that anyone now running for office make a pledge not to support Mike Madigan as House Speaker. I think he’s already done enough damage with the way corruption has run wild on his watch.”

A new University of Illinois at Chicago study finds that the state’s culture of corruption annually costs taxpayers in the neighborhood of $556 million. Researchers also noted Illinois ranks as the second-most corrupt state in the country (behind Louisiana) and Chicago is the most corrupt city in the U.S., all of which goes a long way in crippling the state’s chances for economic growth.

Over the last two decades, researchers also found the state’s corruption price-tag easily tops $10 billion, or around $830 per resident.

This year alone, at least four state lawmakers have been indicted on corruption charges, adding to the state’s long and sordid political history that includes four governors having been sentenced to prison over the last five decades. Presently, Madigan finds himself cast as a central figure in the ongoing federal probe involving utility giant ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme.

“We’ve got to get back to the point where the people are in charge of government instead of the government being in charge of the people,” Bos added. “You’ve still got people that are optimistic about Illinois, but the great fear is what becomes of us if Madigan is allowed to remain in charge. If he’s reelected as speaker, I think you’re going to see a lot of people heading out of Illinois because so many people have concluded they can’t move forward as long as he’s calling the shots.”