Metro East Sun

“Sorry, there’s just $100 for $7,000 in bills,” according to a recent Belleville News-Democrat editorial, which is striving to bring Illinois’ budget woes under the microscope and ask some important questions prior to elections.

Republican state representative candidate Katherine Ruocco of Swansea, running to represent District 113, recently echoed those numbers in a Facebook post, stating “Illinois has the equivalent of $7,000 in bills with only $100 in a checking account to cover it.”

“The real numbers are $7 billion in bills, with another $2 billion pending and long-term pension debt of $110 billion,” Ruocco added by way of clarification. “The reckless indifference of our legislators as they continue to turn a blind eye to Illinois' financial crisis … and fail to address this problem is shameful.”

As Ruocco cites lost jobs and suspended services, Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger finds herself in the position of apologizing for a crisis that is not her fault -- but that is affecting every sector of life statewide, from health care to academia.

As 2016 began, Illinois already was running a $5 billion deficit tab. Chances of catching up before the next fiscal year appear to be remote, as debt appears to be rising steadily.

Rather than enacting the budget that is now a year late, according to the News-Democrat, lawmakers chose to focus on low-priority issues instead.

“Blame the folks in Springfield who are worried about the legalities of using a spear to catch a catfish, of possessing a flamethrower for home use and of voiding your bladder in the proper place if you’re a transgender teen,” according to the newspaper. “No one seems to think that is an emergency. No one knows when it will end.”