The state of Illinois is broke for all intents and purposes. Contractors are not being paid, and pensions are over $2 billion underfunded.
As Santa Obama works the campaign trail passing out goodies for votes, like the new rules for student loans, the Super Committee he delegated the job of reducing the budget by a trillion over ten years seems to be useless. Their first big idea was to replace the paper dollar with coins. A few billion over 30 years is the savings from that big idea. Plus, let’s ignore the will of the public when it comes to using the few billion already minted and in storage.
The politicians in Illinois are equally disinterested in fixing the state’s financial mess. Here’s an idea. Illinois has over 1,400 townships across the state.
Trustees for the township of Evanston want to dissolve the township. It would save $700,000. The City Attorney tells the trustees that ending township government is complicated. The last time a township disappeared in Illinois was in 1932.
Here’s my descriptions of townships in Illinois. Cronyism, nepotism,and patronage with huge amounts spent on salaries. Berwyn Township spends 40% of expenditures on salaries. Plus, they give politicians a great opportunity to double-dip on pensions. Even California doesn’t have townships. If that liberal bastion of bureaucracy can live without them, why not Illinois?
Road repair, relief to the poor, and assessing and collecting property taxes could all be done by the city or county.
Townships are outdated and just another layer of government that pays big dollars at the top and offers big benefits to the top that the state can’t pay.
Will Evanston start a trend in Illinois? I doubt it. Too political and untouchable for too many politicians.
Let’s wait until the state does go broke and then deal with this.
