Tell lawmakers to back Rauner to reform Illinois

Rock Island County Republican Chair BILL BLOOM had this column in the December 18 Dispatch/Argus. ..... marks paragraph breaks. "For months now, the state of Illinois has been locked in a battle over its budget. Democrats John Cullerton and Mike Madigan have been trying to push through a budget with a multibillion dollar deficit. Gov. Bruce Rauner has been calling for reforms that are necessary for the long-term health of the state of Illinois. ..... Democrats have been trotting out families and charities which have had their support cut to show how heartless Bruce Rauner is. The truth is, Democrats have super-majorities in both houses of the Illinois Legislature. They could pass the budget and override a veto by the Governor. ..... All it takes is for them to have lockstep discipline among their troops. Their inability to do this means one of two things. 1: They do not have lockstep adherence of their troops and they don't want this revealed by forcing a vote, or 2: They really want Rauner to take ownership of the budget-busting deficit being proposed by Madigan and his allies. ..... Illinois is in trouble. The U.S. Census Bureau reported Illinois' population fell by more than 9,900 people. The truth is worse. That number includes births. If you only look at people moving in or people moving out, we lost 95,000 people in 2014 alone. ..... We are losing hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs. Our kids are moving to other places to find opportunity. The south side of Chicago used to be lit up with steel mills working through the night. The last of these moved out last year for another Midwest state. .... "Pro-union" Illinois has lost 10 percent of its union jobs over the last 10 years. "Anti-union" Indiana has seen a 5 percent increase. Why? Because you have to have companies that manufacture to have union jobs and Illinois is losing its manufacturing jobs. ..... Illinois keeps major manufacturers like Deere and Cat by providing sweetheart deals that keep them here. Even with these deals, union jobs are shrinking. ..... Unions pour millions into the coffers of Democrats who pass legislation that sounds good to working families but actually kills jobs. Companies faced with higher and higher costs in Illinois are moving across the borders to surrounding states. ..... If you listen to the liberals, Iowa must be a wasteland with its lower minimum wage and right to work environment. All of us regularly cross the river and experience the truth. Iowa is thriving. ..... Scott County generates twice the retail revenue of Rock Island County. People in Scott County find their houses sell twice as fast as comparable homes in Illinois and at a much higher price. On the Illinois side of the river housing starts have dwindled to a handful. ..... That is not how it has to be. Rauner has a vision that will turn this state around. Democrats offer more of the same solutions that have driven Illinois to the brink of failure. ..... Give Rauner a chance to jump-start Illinois and return it to the job creating industrial power it once was. Tell your local representative you support Rauner in reforming Illinois."