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" Like I care that you went to college. I totally agree that we should starve the beast first but, when you have a bunch of politicians who are as ignorant as the ones we have now, that isn't going to happen. As far as $200 million being a drop in the bucket is concerned, that seems to be the answer for every cynic on the planet. Securing a way to infuse an additional $50 million per year into the pension system, education, or healthcare is allot better than what we have now. If someone is in debt, the first thing they need to stop doing is digging the hole. Then you start cutting back on non essentials for a while, at the same time putting a little of that dirt back in the hole. Before ya know it, the hole is filled in and you still have dirt coming in for a few of those luxuries. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a single parent who does this every day. "

" I'd rather keep the $10 per week than give it to the state. $10 a week put into a retirement account earning an average of 8% interest compounded monthly comes out to $158,000 at my age 67 retirement. You'd be a fool to say that you wouldn't miss $158,000. I am a college grad, but I don't think for a minute that your idea would solve the budget problem in the state. $200 million over 4 years is a drop in the bucket for the state. They probably loose $50 million a year just in clerical errors. You forget that no amount of money thrown at a problem will solve it if the politicians keep spending. And they won't stop, so why give them more money? Take a page from the play book of Ronald Reagan, and starve the beast first. "

" No matter what happens, in the end Blago. will raise income taxes. I personaly do not see a problem with raising the state income tax, for people who earn more than $50,000 per year by 1%. Yes, I earn around $50,000 per year. Raising my state income tax by 1% is not going to put me in the "poor house." In fact, I really wouldn't even miss the increase. People who earn more than $50,000 would have to pay an additional $500 per year in state income taxes. For me that works out to $20.66 more per pay period. $500 extra income tax per year x 100,000 workers = $50,000,000. Over the next 4 years it comes to $200,000,000. We all know there are more than 100,000 people in Illinois who earn at least $50,000 annually. As far the extra $20 per pay period is concerned, most of us burn $20 or more, every time we take our family out for dinner. Just stop going out for dinner 1 time per month, and you have got your $20 bucks back. See there, I'm not even a college grad and I just solved a huge problem in our state budget. "

" Pantagraph, you forgot his idea to sell the toll roads in northern Illinois. Heck, why doesn't he sell the Governor's mansion in Springfield to a private museum developer? Nobody lives there. I know, he could sell Springfield and move the State Capital to Chicago................;-) "