Kane County Reporter

In a short, tongue-in-cheek letter to Speaker Michael Madigan, Richard Evans, the Republican candidate for District 43’s state Senate seat, clearly had enough with the recent delays in passing a budget.

“Dear General Assembly and Speaker Madigan (aka Emperor Michael or even King George),” Evans said. “We’ve had enough. A stopgap budget is not good enough. Pass a budget. Worry less about keeping your seat in the November election and more about the residents you represent.”

Illinois political leaders recently agreed on a short-term budget to keep state government going for six more months, ensuring schools open on time in the fall and rescuing  financially struggling Chicago Public Schools.

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“The budget agreement came amid intense pressure to ease the dysfunction, as neither side wanted to be blamed if children couldn't go to school, road construction projects stopped, prisoners rioted for lack of food and the state's most vulnerable continued to lose care,” the Chicago Tribune said in a June 30 article.

As a certified public accountant (CPA), Evans knows that the financial situation in Illinois is an emergency and that the delays in passing a budget are creating more problems.

“Any elected legislator that has served for three terms, and has not been part of a balanced budget solution, is a part of the problem in Springfield, our General Assembly,” Evans recently told the Kane County Reporter.

Even Gov. Bruce Rauner is aware of the temporary nature of the recent stopgap budget.

"This is not a budget," Rauner said after the deal was struck in the Assembly. "This is not a balanced budget. This is not a solution to our long-term challenges. This is a bridge to reform. That's what this is."

State Rep. Mike Madigan (D-Dist. 22) also said more needed to be done and that he may be open to more compromise on a full-year spending plan. But Madigan’s agreement to compromise came with a caveat: Democrats would remain opposed to portions of Rauner’s agenda.

Such caveats are the reason why people like Evans are frustrated with the current government.

“It is time for new blood, new talent and a new spirit of public service in Springfield,” Evans said. “Citizens, please review carefully the voting records of your legislators and then let’s make some long-overdue changes.”

Evans wants to remind people that the way the state government is currently being run is a reminder of why America has roots in democracy, and how high taxes were the initial cause for public rebellion.

“Let’s party like it’s 1776,” Evans said. “We cannot tolerate 10 percent sales tax, increasing property taxes, squandered tax dollars — remember 'no taxation without representation'? Yes, we need a spirit of service in our legislators, and those that have been there too long, like 30 years, need to get another job!”

Evans said he believes change can happen by practicing informed decisions and voting for candidates who care about their constituents, not preserving their Assembly seats.