Letter: Illinois and its working families have gotten fair shake

This letter is written in response to the April 25 Guest View by Patrick Pfingsten. In his op-ed, Pfingsten takes exception to the Democrats’ motives in passing an election year budget. I would point out that any budget passed in an election year is by definition an election year budget. Additionally, who cares what their motives were, the budget is good for both the state’s working families and its finances.

Pfingsten harps that more should have been done to the motor fuel tax, the state’s individual tax rate and the property tax credit. I would point out that politics is the art of the possible and attaining a consensus between 59 senators and 118 representatives who have their own voters’ priorities in mind is no small task. They were able to pass a budget that provides $1.83 billion in tax relief, funds an additional $500 million in pension payments, restores $1 billion to the Rainy-Day Fund and provides an additional $200 million for law enforcement in a balanced budget earning a third credit rating upgrade to boot.

Pfingsten’s bio notes he is a longtime Republican strategist, therefore he projects a doom-and-gloom outlook on the budget in hopes of swaying the electorate to vote for opposing candidates. So, to extend his Chicken
Little analogy, Chicken Little is trying to distract everyone with cries that the sky is falling when, in fact, the State of Illinois and its working families have gotten a fair shake on this year’s budget. Kudos to Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly for a job well done.

Susan Labaj

Crystal Lake