Gov. JB Pritzker gave his annual update on the “State of the State” Feb. 18 and ignored several important factors. Under his watch, our residents pay the highest combined taxes and fees of any state, the highest property taxes, have the highest unfunded pension liability, the worst bond rating and lead the nation per capita in population loss. We are on track to lose another Congressional seat.

Rather than discuss the issues facing Illinois, the governor painted a rosy picture as if nothing was wrong. He then laid out how he was going to raise taxes and fees by over $700 million and blamed the federal government. It was surreal.

Amazingly, state spending has increased 40% since Pritzker took office; $2.5 billion has been wasted on health care and services for illegal immigrants, $1.5 billion to bail out Chicago mass transit and $5.2 billion more lost to unemployment insurance fraud, according to a recent Auditor General report. While the Governor may mean well, his policies are not working. Taxpayer money is being wasted. We need a new path. Not more of the same.

Illinois’ priorities should be reducing our spending and improving efficiency in everything that we do. We should focus immediately on property tax relief for families and seniors, reducing energy costs and opting into the new federal tax provision that allows workers to deduct wages earned from tips and overtime.

Illinois can unleash our full potential for growth and affordability but we need to change course and reset our priorities.

State Rep. Joe Sosnowski, House District 69

Machesney Park