by John Zienkosky

Created on: March 29, 2009

When was the last time you remember a tax being levied that was later repealed? What? Don't remember you say? And that is the way it will go with this tax proposed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. In a state where the taxes have driven the trucking and other industries out, where the national transportation industry tells their drivers to fuel either before or after they go through Illinois because of the high price os gas and where agriculture is an afterthought because Chicago sucks - all the money away I mean, then this "solution" is just more of the same. One definition of insanity is when something doesn't work one keeps on trying it anyway. As a Village President in Illinois and a County leader I can tell you firsthand that the entire state of Illinois and the money she makes serves Chicago and Chicago first.

If you found your household strapped for cash, behind on credit card payments, car in need of repairs and no medical coverage, you could say you were in trouble. Now add to that your trusted partner decides to suddenly divorce you and you have a disaster in the making. What would be everyone's advice to you now? Knuckle down, cut your expenses to the bone and hang on to every dime. That is analogous of Illinois's situation. Already in financial trouble through fiscal mismanagement, they then divorced Hot Rod and have an even larger crisis on their hands. Having lived with Governor Hot Rod for nearly 7 years the Illinois Legislature finally decides he's a crook. Whoa! Didn't see that one coming. For God's sake people, the man refused to live in the Governor's mansion for 7 years in favor of living in Chicago for better schools for his child. Meanwhile, the State of Illinois Taxpayers footed a $40,000.00 a month bill to maintain an unoccupied residence. Of course they saw this coming and should have. Governor Blagojevich's behaviour has been picked at by Pat Quinn and Lisa Madigan for years. They knew this was coming.

The point is, when you see a divorce coming you prepare for it. You put away money and do not approve any new spending. You then bend your efforts to getting through the gate as quickly and painlessly as possible. After that, you don't make everyone around you pay for your plight. They instead spent all their time in a pissing contest with Rod which ultimately he won in a roundabout way. Governor Pat Quinn now holds the trophy.

I am preparing to move out of Illinois. I have lived here since coming from Texas in 1980. The taxes to benefit ratio is the main reason. When I pay my Federal taxes and get back $1200.00 dollars but still owe the State of Illinois $300.00, something is desperately wrong. So, my parting advice to you Illinois is; knuckle down, take your lumps, cut your spending and cut your taxes. Then maybe you will be able to woo back some of the businesses and people you have driven out of this state for the last 25 years.

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