Darren Bailey is afraid for Illinois’ future.
“I think we’ve reached the point where we will have to explore avenues for a complete financial restructuring of this state and maybe even some form of bankruptcy,” the newly elected state representative in the 109th District told SE Illinois News. “Our out-of-control and reckless spending has got to stop. And it starts with Gov. Pritzker and all the things he is doing that are totally reckless.”
Bailey, of nearby Xenia, points to Pritzker’s plan to pump even more cash into the pension system of Chicago teachers while essentially short-changing the system of other retired teachers across the state as just more of the same misguided machinations.
State Rep. Darren Bailey
“The truth is, much of the governor’s policy-making derives from pandering to different groups of people from the Chicago area,” Bailey added. “It seems he’s willing to shelve any idea or proposal to keep the masses in the city aligned and happy with him. It seems like everything Chicago wants somehow turns into a bill with no regard for the rest of the state.”
Pritzker’s newly unveiled pension plan bares very little resemblance to the one he outlined on the campaign trail, when he claimed he planned to pay more into pensions throughout the state. Currently, the state is burdened with upwards of $135 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, with actuarial contributions for the next fiscal year set to account for as much as 25 percent of the entire state budget.
“That’s just totally unsustainable,” Bailey said. “For the life of me, I don’t understand why Democrats persist in this kind of madness. It’s like when it comes to budgeting and finances they have no sense of reality.”
The 109th House District includes all or parts of Clay, Edwards, Effingham, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne and White counties.
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