Dupage Policy Journal

Illinois has been held down under the burden of bad financial choices, and it's going to take the state to come together to lift it back to greatness, Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) recently said in a press release.

“Realistic appropriations bills haven’t been allowed to move forward in the General Assembly, and we’ve been without a budget for almost two years,” Breen said. “Since I was sworn in as a representative in 2015, I still haven’t had the opportunity to vote on a balanced budget.”

Breen pointed to the state’s astronomical pension debt, which conservatively amounts to 10 percent of the total of such debt owed by all 50 states, and the high property taxes that have led to Illinois experiencing the highest levels of out-migration in the country for three years in a row.

He also reminded readers to Illinois’ potential: Chicago, transportation hubs, farmland and manufacturing industries. He urged Illinoisans to talk to one another and state representatives to promote reform.

“We each have the ability to work to lift Illinois up and stop our state’s continued drifting down," he said. "If we work on this project together, then we cannot help but improve from where we are, and eventually return Illinois to its rightful place as one of the best states in the union to live, work and raise a family.”