Kane County Reporter

In the view of Republican state Senate hopeful Ben Bierly, desperate times call for desperate measures.

“There are two things we can do immediately to change this culture of corruption in Springfield,” Bierly told the Kane County Reporter. “First, we need to move the Legislative Inspector General to the Judicial Branch so that the General Assembly has no control over the body that is supposed to keep them honest. Second, effective immediately, and without grandfathering in current legislators, we need to enact term limits in the General Assembly.”

Running against state Sen. John Connor (R-Lockport) in the 43rd District, Bierly’s demand for change comes in the wake of a new University of Illinois at Chicago study that finds that the state’s culture of corruption annually costs taxpayers in the neighborhood of $556 million. Researchers also noted Illinois ranks as the second-most corrupt state in the country (behind Louisiana) and Chicago is the most corrupt city in the U.S., all of which goes a long way in crippling the state’s chances for economic growth.

Over the last two decades, researchers also found the state’s corruption price-tag easily tops $10 billion, or around $830 per resident.

This year alone, at least four state lawmakers have been indicted on corruption charges, adding to the state’s long and sordid political history that includes four governors having been sentenced to prison over the last five decades. Presently, longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan finds himself cast as a central figure in the ongoing federal probe involving utility giant ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme.

“Too many politicians have gone to Springfield with the intent of serving themselves instead of We the People,” Bierly added. “Any legislator that is proposing to raise taxes and fees instead of fixing spending, my opponent included, should check their privilege at the door and remember they are there to serve We the People by responsibly spending the least amount of public treasure as possible to accomplish their jobs.”

Bierly worries that things could still get worse before they get better.

“If we continue to elect politicians who aren’t accountable to the people, we can expect our state to very quickly end up in bankruptcy,” he said. “I know, states aren’t supposed to be able to declare bankruptcy, but if you can’t pay your bills it doesn’t matter what you call it. If we don’t fix the culture of corruption and our spending habits, state pensioners like our teachers can expect not to receive a pension at all. People will continue to leave the state as fast as they can, leaving a higher burden on the very people who can afford it least.”