Doing more with less is our family motto and to us, as a family; reducing, reusing and recycling isn't just a popular environmentally friendly motto, (especially on our very limited monthly budget) it's a survival imperative. If we can save anything and reuse it for the same reason or an alternative usage, it saves us the money of buying something. Reducing the amount of food we purchase and limiting our buying to what we're sure we can consume before it spoils saves us from having to throw money in to the garbage can. In aluminum can recycling alone, my wife and I have funded date-night outings and gasoline.

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My wife and I wonder why isn't this same ethos at work in our state's government? To ask in an almost child like way, "why does Springfield wastefully squander our tax dollars and expect that, time and time again they can return to the mythical money tree in the back yard" (the taxpayers) for more? Why do we as taxpayers continue to tolerate wasteful spending by rewarding wasteful spenders with re-election to their seats so they can continue to squander our money and furthermore risk financial ruination of Illinois and other not-so-great consequences, example: threat of reduction of our state's bond rating to junk status?

We have, in Illinois, done what seemed impossible not so long ago--we passed a budget. Unfortunately, upon inspecting the details of our state budget, it will not take anyone very long to discover that our 2019 budget is propped up on one time sales of some minor state assets and moving funding around in a "shell-game" fashion in order to create an illusion of a balanced budget. What are the answers? Well, they're not simple or painless but can be boiled down to something that myself and Mrs. Parker came to terms with long ago and the other motto we live by, "we have to do more with less".

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This is especially true in a steadily depopulating Illinois. Fact dictates that less people means less taxpayers. Another answer, elect individuals to office who understand this seemingly simple concept. I was a Democratic Primary candidate in my Illinois House of Representatives District in the March 20th primary. I've put my money where my mouth is. During my own campaign I offered a detailed platform and agenda which possibly could stave off some of our state's coming fiscal woes. I wasn't nominated.

Maybe you, the reader of this letter can see the sense of doing more with less and, not unlike myself, run for office. I hope you win and I hope you make a difference. If you agree with fiscal responsibility and see it as I do, that it is an imperative for the survival of Illinois, I would very gladly support your candidacy!

The answers to Illinois' woes aren't simple and there's no immediate way to reverse a lengthy trend downward. The fact of the matter is: the fan is on and something terrible is about to hit it and we, the commonfolk, who budget for our survival and the survival of our families should step up and fight to turn the tide now! In the State of Illinois, the clock has chimed and the eleventh hour is upon us!

David Parker
Centralia, IL

Opinions expressed in this section are solely those of the individual authors and do not represent the views of RiverBender.com or its affiliates. We provide a platform for community voices, but the responsibility for opinions rests with their authors.

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