David Friess | Contributed image
David Friess | Contributed image
Republican state House candidate David Friess can’t fathom how Democrats in Springfield can possibly justify some of their latest handiwork, particularly with their new $42 billion state budget.
“On March 20, 2020, the governor issued his first executive order related to the pandemic, which instituted a statewide lock down, and ordered all ‘non-essential’ workers to stay home,” Friess told the SE Illinois News. “As a result of the governor's orders, countless small businesses were forced to shut their doors, forced to lay off employees, and forced to learn how to survive without a source of revenue. Given these difficult times, I don't believe we are asking too much by asking the government to tighten its belt and spend a little less of taxpayers' money.”
Friess, who is now running against incumbent state Rep. Nathan Reitz (D-Steeleville) in the 116th District, added it’s even harder to understand how Democrats would engage in such excessive spending given that a new WalletHub.com survey concludes Illinois is in need of more help than almost every other state stemming from the fallout caused by COVID-19. Researchers added that Illinois ranks as the sixth-neediest state in the country, with part of its poor standing being attributed to its instability even before the pandemic broke out.
The state also ranked near the bottom in terms of state and local debt per capita, including on the metric of unfunded pension liabilities, which are estimated at more than $138 billion.
“What makes the budget impractical is the $5 billion in borrowing with little to no legislative oversight and the assumption that the federal government is going to bailout Illinois,” Friess, a Red Bud resident, added. “Illinois' budget issues existed long before the arrival of the coronavirus.”
Given that Democrats remain in power in Springfield, Friess seems worried that nothing will make the situation any different when it comes to the state’s spending habits.
“Unfortunately, due to years of mismanagement and overspending, difficult decisions must be made to get our financial house in order,” he said.
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