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" Just imagine if nobody showed up for an election. At 20 to 30% of registered voter turnout, apathy is getting close to being a boycott. We need a viable 3rd party in this country. We really have only one party: Repubocrats

These exorbitant wages aren't needed consider that many legislators are attorneys with private practices. Remember the term(public service)? "

" " Illinois is known as one of if not the most corrupt state in the nation. We have the most unpopular governor in the nation. The governor and politicians are those of which have no concience. These elected officials are not here to help us as a society. They are only after the power with which comes the money, prestige, and all of the other perks. Basically, the last governor, an obvious mobster, is sitting in prison as a landscaper. Hope you loose that gut george, old buddy. Didn't he close a prison in Sheridan? Now our guy Rod. This is a puppet being controlled by some illiterate fool and we all know who that is. Remember George, well, you 2 fools trying to close the likes of Pontiac cc, DO NOT Forget where you are heading. "

" To Bama: This is EXACTLY why politicians do not want a recall amendment. Then again, we would not need one if people would quit voting along party lines, and vote according to politicians records and not the last sound bite, or the promise of something for nothing. It is the ignorance of the majority of Illinois residents that continue to let this happens. People can whine/cry/complain all they want, but ultimately it is the people that are casing this mess. That is the problem with democracy. It only works when the majority has at least average intelligence, and can make good decisions. "

" No wonder we get the kind of government we have here in illinois we dont pay enough to the folks making the rules . We have school principls makeing twice what we are paying these people, the new provost at ISU makes a quarter million . I t is mutch easier to bribe a poor person , pay them a million a year. "

" I cant believe that they are getting a raise when people like myself and others that have both spouses working are having a hard time getting by raising our children. I dont think it is right that they vote on their own pay raises. I think the people of the state should be the ones that vote on whether they receive a pay raise. Then maybe they would work harder to help the people of the State of Illinois. "

" It is incumbent upon the Pantagraph and the other news outlets in IL to NOT let Legislators dodge this bullet. As the elections get closer, this pay raise issue should be seen, heard and read over and over again. It is time to keep the voters angry at the IL DO NOTHING Legislature. King Emil Jones is riding the gravey train and he knows it. We can do nothing about King Emil Jones, because he is "elected" in Chicago by HIS Chicago voters. If I am not mistaken, the Senators from the entire IL Senate "elect" the Senate President. It is time for down-state Senators to vote King Emil Jones out of his palace. If they are unwilling, SENATOR BRADY, then they need to be voted out of the IL Legislature. "

" Untill the citizenry of Illinois realize that " their own " legislator along with all the other legislators is the problem then " business as usual " will continue ! "

" " has a legislature with some of the most responsibility in the country, so higher salaries just go with the job." Why? What is their "most responsibility" and when do they do it? I haven't really seen them do anything?, but raise their salary. Dear Lord, please bring somebody to light for the next election who doesn't have a tie to Chicago and who will sincerely help the citizens of this State, who pay his/her salary. Amen "

" Maybe, they need to draw unemployment compensation for a while? May improve their attitudes, also? Let's start with Emil Jones and Rod Blagojevich? I could name a few others, also that don't keep the best interest of their constituants in mind. "

" If this news isn't a wake up call to even the most devout liberal democrat in Illinois, then you folks are even further gone than imagined. This is proof that corruption on the part of these over paid and underworked public parasites, is out of control. It is time to for these people to be voted out and a new crew voted in. If the new crew swings this way then we get rid of them and get some new ones in after that. If voters keep a revolving door of lawmakers coming in they will have to focus more on the business at hand, than giving the taxpayers the business this current crew has done for so long. "

" Does this surprise anyone? Crooked Chicago politicians and bankrupt Illinois. what's troubling is they implanted their welfare recipients downstate where we can end up with more welfare friendly liberal democrats in legislature downstate. Time for recall and a major cleanup of Illinois politics. "

" You have to be kiddin' me 2x as much for what a congress that can't get along and a state sprialing out of control. I think all should be voted out. It about for a change, has to start some where why not the state. Export their job to china or india like the jobs they are doing for the voters. "

" This is an infuriating situation, but what bothers me even more is the 5 and 6-figure pay of UNELECTED officials up and down this state. I suspect there are hundreds if not thousands of people making $80,000+ for work that is clerical or bureaucratic pencil pushing. On top of that they will be paid a very generous pension when they retire. I'm amazed there's anything left over for IDOT graft. It's the fleecing of the good people of Illinois. "

" This is bad news for Illinois' "neighbors." You know that the legislators in those states will begin to argue that they are deserving of a pay raise because of what legislators are paid here. "

" Maybe if voters hammered their elected officials hard enough, a recall amendment for all elected officials could be added to the state constitution.

I know it would be hard, but if enough people made it clear that they would actively campaign against incumbents being reelected, it could be done.

The only way there will ever be any accountability in Illinois government is if the people have the tight to recall their elected officials. "