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Question of the day

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Illinois

Name one new state program or potential state legislative proposal that you would like to see enacted this year.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:11 am

Comments

I would like to see legislation requiring the state to pay it’s bills. It is wrong for this administration to propose new programs when it refuses to pay the bills for existing programs.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:22 am
I would like to see a provision prohibiting the legislature from implementing any new program or expand existing programs if the total accrued state debt exceed 100% of the state’s OCE budget.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:24 am
A majority requirement for all single-seat elections, whether that be using a system of traditional runoff elections or Instant Runoff Voting.

Comment by Squideshi Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:25 am
State Rep. Mike Bost has a bill to allow active duty service members hunt or fish for free.

Comment by working man Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:33 am
Alcopops….those pastel “girlie” drinks in a bottle are heavily marketed to teen girls, are hard liquor based, yet taxed like beer. The state is missing the boat by not stepping up and looking at the fraudulent marketing, and slapping a tax on them for what they are. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck….it’s a duck. There is a significant disparity in the tax rate between the two.

Comment by Funny Girl Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:50 am
The state should not be allowed to enact new entitlement programs without a way to pay for the them. Also, the current programs should be fully funded before making new ones.

Comment by BBpolNut Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:51 am
House Bill 1. Rep. Fritchey’s campaign contribution disclosure/ban for State contractors.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:51 am
Ban smoking in private homes where children are present.

Comment by Johnny USA Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:53 am
Make the State’s Inspector General and Internal Audit functions truly independent and free from full FOIA exclusion.

Comment by Let's do it right Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:58 am
Ban smoking in restaurants/bars statewide.

Comment by respectful Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:00 am
Ban mean jokes.

Comment by GoodForBlago Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:06 am
Elected Official Recall

Comment by He makes Ryan look like a saint!!! Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:16 am
Expand the House to three seats per district with no more than two elected members belonging to one political party. Increase minority participation, representative government at the expense of the current “Four Tops” system.

Getting rid of this prior system was a false savings in money that has created less representative governments in Springfield, not more.

Comment by louisgatsaves Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:18 am
Statewide smoking ban becomes law.

Comment by Scoot Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:26 am
We see too many unopposed legislative races creating no choices for voters.

Require that any legislative ballot with an unopposed incumbant on it, include the words, “I do not support the incumbant” as a choice for voters.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:27 am
Transition the state’s 14,000 inmates incarcerated for mere drug possession into comprehensive, community-based treatment programs and eliminate the six-month backlog for those voluntarily seeking addiction treatment from the state. Save taxpayers about $280 million a year at the state level and tens of millions more at the local level, where petty drug possession for meth and cocaine is clogging the jails.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:37 am
Ban children from homes where I am smoking!

Comment by Marlboro Man Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 11:43 am
The State of Illinois should begin collecting sales tax on all internet sales from Illinois residents including those purchases made from all out of state business entities (that do not currently charge IL sales taxes). The revenue derived would help reduce our deficits. And competition with local merchants who must charge sales taxes would be made more fair.

Comment by vole Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 12:09 pm
NO NEW UNFUNDED LEGISLATION OR PROGRAMS

Comment by The Balanced Check Book Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 12:11 pm
The best law that could possibly be enacted anywhere would be one that requires two laws to be stricken from the books for every one enacted.

Comment by C$ Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 12:12 pm
Pass a 100% smoke-free law that protect all workers from nasty secondhand smoke!

Comment by '85 Bears Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 12:15 pm
Universal health care modeled after All Kids with premiums to be charged on a sliding scale according to income.

Comment by Bill Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 12:52 pm
…and ban handguns statewide!

Comment by Bill Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 12:53 pm
Conceal and Carry.

And ban free speech. I think Pat Quinn is working on this one….

Comment by Lovie's Leather Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 1:00 pm
I’m really not finding Funny girl’s comments too funny.

Comment by Beerman Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 1:10 pm
a bill to fully fund an office on the 2nd floor of the Capitol for the U S Attorney, to investigate the Blago admin. Of course if he wants to personally interview G-Rod, then he will have to be in Chicago

Comment by wrigs Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 1:22 pm
Reduce ballot access requirements so Illinois no longer has the worst in the world and so Illinois conforms to the 7th Circuit ruling that said our ballot access laws unconstitutionally violate the 1st and 14th Amendments. Heck, we need to reform the entire ballot access system.

Absent that, up the standard deduction in the state income tax to $20,000 and stop taxing poor people by capping tax rates cities charge for things like electricity and phone. An 18% tax rate on electricity in Chicago is gouging plain and simple. And to “pay for it” stop putting potheads and medical marijuana patients behind bars.

Comment by Jeff Trigg Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 1:35 pm
i agree with “arthur andersen” - i’d like to see Fritchey’s HB1 called for a vote and get the ball rolling on pay-to-play reform. what are we waiting for?

Comment by we're #1 Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 1:43 pm
Property taxes apply to purchase price, not “arbitrary” “assessed” values.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 2:09 pm
1. Pay bills on time
2. Mandate real balanced budgets where actual expenses are paid with real revenue, not loans, bonds, sweeps, or any other bookkeeping sleight of hand that simply delays actual payments off to some future time with additional interest payments.
3. New programs of any kind must have a new payment source that does not take funding from an existing service unless the existing service is dropped from current funding.

Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 2:13 pm
Can’t go with just one:

1. Pay-to-play reform and PAYGO rules… kinda sorta one and the same at this point.

2. Green energy. Doesn’t matter how it’s worked out — incentives, grants, words of encouragement…

3. A $1 tax on media-types using the name “Barack Hussein Obama”. This tax would go directly to fighting the war on poverty.

We should have poverty wiped out by August.

Comment by NW burbs Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 2:22 pm
Move money from road programs to transit.

Comment by Way Northsider Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 2:26 pm
Concealed carry of handguns. Only Illinois and Wisconsin do not have some form of concealed carry. It is time for Illinois to come out of the “dark ages” when it comes to self-defense.

Comment by Pro-Gunner Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 2:59 pm
Statewide Big Box Living Wage –

Comment by Grocery Guy Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 3:13 pm
1. Sen. Dilliard’s venue bill. This is the type of reasonable tort reform that will make a difference, but will still allow parties a fair day in court.

2. YDD is right. The drug possession laws need to be changed. We are spending way too much money locking people up for their bad habits.

Comment by Skeeter Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 3:41 pm
Grocery Guy got me thinking about Big Box. And I work for a “big box” retailer. And guess what? I have a union! And I make less than what the minimum will be in July. Big box laws are just an attempt at Union grab-assing power. That is all it is. My union sucks, now Grocery Guy wants everyone to suffer the misery of low wages with a union taking $8 a week out of your paycheck… not to mention the $60 “union initiation”.

Comment by Lovie's Leather Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 3:51 pm
“Punch Ten”

Comment by Master of the Obvious Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 5:01 pm
Any deadbeat parent that is over $5,000 in arrears for child support GOES TO JAIL. Bond is set for the amount of arrears plus the cost that was required to detain him/her and a service fee. The bond money is then sent to the custodial parent, the additional costs money is kept by the county and the service fee is sent to the state to hire more workers to handle the huge case loads in the Child Support Enforcement Program.

Comment by Anon. Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 5:40 pm
Term limits.

Comment by Papa Legba Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 5:41 pm
School Vouchers for All Illinois Students and watch a vast improvement in all Public Schools.

Comment by Pat Hickey Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 5:41 pm
Concealed carry everywhere but Chicago,then they will see that we are safer downstate than they are.Also a bill that would ban the mayor of Illinois from harrasing the gun industry or private citizens that own guns!!!

Comment by NIEVA Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 6:00 pm
Anon 5:40 - First you have to find the deadbeat.
YDD - Drug criminal has to want help (I have a parolee in my house who is on his second offense - learning is not happening.)

I want the state to have to pay it’s bills on time, without being able to take money from agency budgets - from center budgets where it is supposed to be helping better peoples’ lives. Increase the staffing ratios in state centers to the federal level so that staff injuries decrease and services are at a better level. Increase funding in the community so that community agencies can provide appropriate levels of care so that persons served don’t end up back in state centers where they came from because staff can’t provide adequate care. Ensure that COLA’s for community agencies go to staff and not to agency upkeep.

Comment by Tessa Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 6:58 pm
It is impossible to balance the budget unless there is a timely and accurate picture of the true state of the state. Rod can proclaim the virtue of his budget all he wants. But there are still sweeps of funds from otherwise allocated funds (I hope the optional providers of those funds have gotten wise) and medical providers who refuse to provide service for lack of payment. Gee, if I could provide numbers from 18 months ago as the current status quo for my personal balance sheet, I am sure I could make it look as good as the state ….

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 7:41 pm
Way Northsider…What Money? Do you mean, the money that’s left over after four or five hundred million has already been raided from the road fund this year?

Seriously, a Capital Improvement program that would help fund school and transportation improvements…and a legitimate funding source for it. And with it…a ban on political contributions from those firms and individuals that would benefit from it.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 7:42 pm
A last choice for all races on a ballot, except referendums. That choice being, “none of the above.”

Comment by Anon in BB Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 8:08 pm
Keeping with the theme of my “handle”, I would like to see no new state programs - they all cost money that we don’t have. I would like to see legislation that bans illegal aliens from receiving state funds or benefits of any kind.

Comment by Holdingontomywallet Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 8:12 pm
I would like to see a fair service tax passed. Not on haircuts, no one wants to live in a society where everyone looks like Cousin It because they can’t afford a haircut.

Comment by anonymous Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 9:18 pm
Provide for a regular schedule of maintenance for state-owned facilities. At present, the facilities owned by the state are falling apart at an ever increasing rate. State assets are being squandered on a daily basis to feed programs that will buy votes.

Comment by In the Sticks Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 9:54 pm
Capital Fax be required readying for all

Comment by the ole precinct captain Thursday, Jan 18, 07 @ 10:38 pm
1)Property tax reform.
2)Concealed carry.
3)Leave drug laws alone. The people in prison for “mere posession” are there because they sold to an undercover and the State’s Attorney was able to plead it down. Benefits everyone.

Comment by Freezeup Friday, Jan 19, 07 @ 7:24 am
term limits

Comment by Anon Friday, Jan 19, 07 @ 8:20 am