Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly, with the governor’s leadership, must work together to prevent a government shutdown in the state of Illinois. The government will continue taking taxes from Illinois’ workforce and will continue to tax other goods and services in Illinois to generate revenue for the state. In a shutdown, our government wouldn’t shut down its taxation function, but it would shut down its function of providing programs and services. The General Assembly and the governor need to work together to effectively and efficiently represent the people’s interests, following the Illinois Constitution and its built-in checks and balances.
The state has a shortfall of around $4 billion for FY ’16, which means taxpayers are already counted on to provide almost $32 billion of the state’s revenue for programs and services to continue. We must agree on a short-term budget while we continue to work to deliver the most efficient budget for FY ’16. If the state government of Illinois shuts down, what will the taxpayers in Illinois get for their tax dollars? A shutdown would be dangerous for the people of Illinois and would hinder the progress of so many programs and services depended on by so many Illinoisans. A shutdown can be avoided.
The flag
The American flag is America’s symbol of hope and a symbol of the promise of America’s future. July 4th, Independence Day, was a perfect time to raise the American flag in honor of the South Carolina 9, to show the strength of our nation and its endless possibilities of which our flag so boldly reminds us.
The American flag stands for liberty. Red signifies hardiness & valor; White, purity and innocence; Blue, vigilance, perseverance & justice. Americans, let’s renew the hope for which our flag stands, and let us raise our flags for liberty, justice, and freedom for all, in Illinois and in our country.
La Shawn K. Ford
State representative, Eighth District