SE Illinois News

GOP state House hopeful Paul Jacobs fears a new University of Illinois-Chicago survey that finds corruption costs the state upwards of $556 million each year may only scratch the surface in terms of the real damage being caused.

“We must remember that is what has been found, who knows how much really has been lost,” Jacobs told SE Illinois News. “Corruption has been rampant in our political system for generations.”

The UIC analysis finds that the state’s culture of corruption annually costs taxpayers in the neighborhood of $556 million. Researchers also noted Illinois ranks as the second-most corrupt state in the country (behind Louisiana) and Chicago is the most corrupt city in the U.S., all of which goes a long way in crippling the state’s chances for economic growth.

Over the last two decades, researchers also found the state’s corruption price-tag easily tops $10 billion, or around $830 per resident.

Jacobs said it’s all left him with a laundry list of things that need to happen to change the culture in Springfield.

“A state legislator should not be allowed to be a lobbyist while they are an elected official nor should they be allowed to immediately begin to lobby the day after they quit or complete their term,” he said. “I feel that term limits in some fashion need to be visited or revisited to come up with something that would allow legislators to legislate and not become overly powerful. Obviously the people of Illinois cannot continue to foot the bill for the legislative corruption. This constant increase in taxes rather than decrease in spending is driving very hard-working Illinoisans out of the state.”