Cut government spending, repeal prevailing wage laws

Lawrence Bay had this letter in the May 1 Dispatch/Rock Island Argus paired with two letters supporting the school sales tax. This letter effectively explains why construction cost are too high and why higher taxes is NOT the answer. "Since April 7 those who opposed the school sales tax referendum have been asked, "Where are your solutions to the problem?" ..... Everyone opposed to higher taxes should offer suggestions on how government spending can be reduced. Many solutions can be found just across the river. ...... Construction by every Illinois government body is inflated 10-35 percent by the so-called prevailing wage requirement. ...... This adds to the cost of building or remodeling schools, public libraries, our courthouse and every other government construction or remodeling project. Illinois law requires the inflated "prevailing wage" be paid by every level of government on any government-funded project. ..... If our governments could pay only the true market rate, as private builders do, we could get a lot more construction for the taxpayer dollar. ..... Iowa is one of 18 states that do not have a prevailing wage law. This means that public works projects can be build without having to pay extra. On projects that receive federal funds Iowa still has to pay "prevailing wage" because of the Davis-Bacon Act but saves money on projects using only state and local funds. ..... Nine states that did have prevailing wage laws repealed them, and Oklahoma's was declared unconstitutional. Illinois should also repeal its prevailing wage law and Congress should repeal Davis-Bacon. ..... We don't need to raise taxes, we need to cut spending."