SE Illinois News

House candidate Dr. Paul Jacobs doesn’t see how the federal government can in good cause allow Democrat state lawmakers to cash in on their request for a $41 billion state bailout stemming from damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The feds are not going to allow any state that has bad management polices to get bailouts,” he told the SW Illinois News. “They may in fact make the state fix their over-the-top spending and adjust their pension promises to something that resembles reality.”

Democrat and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon recently penned a letter to members of Illinois' Congressional Delegation requesting the funds as a way of helping the state recover from all the coronavirus-inflicted economic damage.

In the letter, Harmon prominently featured an Illinois Institute of Government report that predicted the state could lose as much as $14 billion in revenues over the next year given everything that’s happening. 

Among the requests, Harmon indicated he is seeking upward of $10 billion for the state’s long-troubled pension plans.

“We cannot renege on our promises to present retires,” said Jacobs (R-Carbondale), who is running as a candidate for the 115th District. “However, they will have to work with the state and move to a true COLA. The legal battle has to be a constitutional amendment because the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the 3% yearly increase could not be removed.”

While he insists he played no role in the drafting of the letter, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he truly believes states need help when it comes to meeting budgets for this year.

“Obviously, Illinois must reduce spending and reduce all taxes to keep our out-migration smaller or gone,” Jacobs said. “I have people seriously ask 'Where do you cut?' I answer, 'Everywhere.' If you think the state of Illinois is spending all of their taxes correctly and with no waste, then I have some swamp land in Florida for sale.”

With the state’s reputation for corruption seemingly growing by the day, Jacobs said he feels he is just what Springfield needs in terms of getting itself on the right track.

“I’m an optometrist, a winemaker and an entrepreneur,” he said. “I have nothing but my business acumen to offer. You still have people besmirch good candidates because they associate them with all of the other previous and prior corrupt Illinois politicians. I feel the state is being blessed by an abundance of very concerned individuals with strong business backgrounds running for political office.”