Illinois is broke, so let's spend more

Ah, the mind of a Democrat tax and spender. (I know, I know--redundant.) Three weeks after Moody's lowered President Barack Hussein Obama's (D) home state of Illinois to "the lowest credit rating of any state in the country" because of

"weak management practices" and a recent legislative session that "took no steps to implement lasting solutions."

Moody's now rates Illinois "A2," below any other state. Only one state, California, qualifies for the next-highest rating. All the rest are ranked higher.

Illinois' Democratic Governor Pat Quinn served up a State of the State speech Wednesday full of ways to spend more money on college scholarships and preschool and cut taxes on natural gas and families with children.

But with Illinois unable to pay its bills and concerns rampant at the state capitol about getting control of runaway public pension and health care costs, lawmakers from both parties were left with a question: Where will the money come from?

"Where will the money come from?" indeed. What kind of question is that for a Democrat, a Democrat from the great state of Illinois, a state which has faithfully supplied the prison system with four governors in the past 40 years? For balance, one was even a Republican.  A state whose prior Democratic governor became a(n) (inter)national laughingstock, not only because of his gorgeous head of hair but because Rod Blagojevich (D) thought a chance to fill a Senate seat vacated because its holder became president was "f*****g golden." Such concerns about money don't bother the present Democrat Illinois governor who helped oversee a rise in the state income tax by over 66% and who will undoubtedly babble about the need to raise it again after the November, 2012 election.

But this is now--pre election. And so Governor Quinn answered the question of "where will the money come from?" as only a Democrat could.

The governor left that query unanswered, pledging to provide more details in another speech that's three weeks away. (snip)

For his part, Quinn asserted that facing the state's challenges would require "political courage" from lawmakers to keep Illinois on the road to economic recovery.

"It's not the time to pull back," Quinn told members of the House and Senate. "By investing in Illinois and investing in our people, we are building and growing the economy. ... We are moving Illinois forward. No reform is easy." (snip)

"Cuts alone will not get us to a better budget," Quinn said.

Tell that to the remaining Illinois taxpayers who will see their personal and business budgets cut as they are hit with new taxes to fulfill Quinn's ideas of supporting the state's notorious corrupt political culture which includes luxurious state pensions.

"Political courage" indeed.

Political courage would be on the order of Mark Steyn's summary of what Obama should have declared during his recent State of the Union talkfest.

"The State of our Union is broke, heading for bankrupt, and total collapse shortly thereafter. Thank you and goodnight! You've been a terrific crowd!"

But the entitlement crowd is not terrific; look for more attacks on capital creators and those who live within their means by the self righteous spenders -- of other peoples' money, which will soon run out.   Illinois is broke -- let's spend more.