SE Illinois News

Republican state House candidate Darren Bailey insists that he's as disappointed as he is flabbergasted to see the newly passed state budget become the law of the land at such a critical time for Illinois.

“It only [makes] the hole we have to dig our way out of deeper. There’s no relief for the taxpayer, and I can’t believe how they’re calling it a balanced budget when there are already estimates of it being as much as $1.5 billion out of whack,” he told the SE Illinois News.

Overall, the plan, calls for $38.5 billion in spending in fiscal year 2019.                                                    

Bailey said all the excessive spending just represents more of the same bad decision-making that put the state on the brink of insolvency to begin with.

“No matter what challenges come about, all elected officials seem to want to do is spend more money,” said Bailey, who is running against Democrat Cynthia Given of Olney in the 109th House District. “There’s just no accountability in Springfield and before this is over, I believe we will find that this plan is far more than $1.5 billion out of balance. It’s [as if] so many of our lawmakers... lack integrity, especially many of those who voted in favor of this plan.”

Bailey said the more he talks with voters, the more he gets the feeling that a growing number of them are starting to feel that enough is enough.

“People are hungry for the truth,” he said. “You’ve got elected officials telling us things that couldn’t be further away from that. We have to put government back in [the] hands of the people.”

Bailey said that providing relief for taxpayers serves as his source of motivation.

“It’s why I’m running,” he said. “There’s no explanation for what’s happening now. We’ve got to get all this stuff dealt with to have any chance of getting this state back on course.”