WAUCONDA – Giving local residents a new tool to become activists for reform in state government, the Lake County Republican delegation to the Illinois House are urging taxpayers to visit the newly created www.reinventillinois.com website to submit ideas on how lawmakers should cut the state budget and suggest reforms needed to re-focus state priorities on fiscal discipline and economic growth.
The site is the latest effort by House Republicans to incorporate public opinion and cultivate a broad range of feedback to help address the growing state budget crisis and fuel the need for budget and ethics reform.
“Nowhere is Illinois’ need for reform more urgent than on the issues of ethics, Medicaid, and pension reform,” said Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda). “Our economic stability as a state depends upon our ability to make long-overdue reforms in these three key areas.”
Stressing the need for fiscal discipline and keeping the state’s priorities in the right place, Rep. Sandy Cole (R-Grayslake) said: “We should focus on a long-term plan to pay down our historic debt while meeting current obligations in the areas of education, public safety, and human services for those who depend on them most. ‘Re-inventing’ Illinois means changing the way we think about solving common problems by encouraging new ideas.”
Noting the urgency of current economic challenges, Rep. Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein) said: “With unemployment at a 25-year high, we need to reach out and embrace the public’s demand for reform in our budget process and strengthen ethics in state government. Public input is an invaluable resource in moving forward with common goals in mind.”
“Government must begin to live within its means,” added Assistant Minority Leader JoAnn Osmond (R-Antioch). “The people we represent can help us reform our broken budget process and bring real change to Springfield by utilizing this new website.”
To join the discussion on how to reform state government, please visit www.reinventillinois.com and register for a free login to begin submitting your ideas.
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