Dwight Kay: Republican running for a state House seat in the 112th District.
Dwight Kay: Republican running for a state House seat in the 112th District.
Dwight Kay argues a good place to start addressing Illinois’ over-spending is to target duplicate and wasteful programs across government.
“One of the first things we need to look at is the overall amount we’re spending in state government,” Kay told the Metro East Sun. “Right now, we’re spending a ton of money, especially with our crazy pension system, that might not be the wisest or most prudent way of doing things.”
A new Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) report reveals the state already spends more than $100 million in wasteful spending, all of it coming at a time when some state lawmakers are pushing even more property and other tax increases.
Rep. Katie Stuart is the Democratic incumbent in the 112th House District.
IPI highlighted some of the wasteful expenditures, including $13.1 million for an arts council chaired by the wife of longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan and pork projects such as $10 million to rehabilitate Chicago’s privately owned Uptown Theatre.
Illinois residents already pay the second-highest property tax rates in the country, along with among the highest combined tax burdens in the country, including a 2.29 percent median property tax rate.
“I look at Madison County in particular,” said Kay, running against Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) in the 112th District. “We’re one of the highest taxed counties in Illinois, and it’s obvious we don’t need all the many townships and that we’re not spending taxpayer’s dollars wisely. That's why so many people want out of the state."
As it is, the population has now dipped in Illinois for four straight years. A recent Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield and NPR Illinois survey found more than half of residents across the state dream of calling someplace else home.
“No one wants to talk about the repercussions coming from all that’s happened, but that day has come,” Kay added.
Illinois’ 112th District includes Bethalto, Caseyville, Fairmont City, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Pontoon Beach, Roxana, Shiloh and Swansea.
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