I believe I stated that I didn't agree on what McCain had done, but at least I knew of something he'd done. I didn't research it, I just remembered those pieces of Legislation. No offense, Pell Grants are fine and dandy, but all they are doing is costing me, the taxpayer, more money.

Unfortunately the main things I have to go on are personal knowledge. I am trying to see it how most people are going to see it. When you think of Chicago, and Politics, what do you think of? The Mob, King Rich (Richard Daley who was anointed not elected). Shady land deals, construction deals that line the pockets of people who don't even work, etc. etc. Here is a good thing I can think of. We have an insurance to help insure our uninsured children. To counter that, we also have the highest sales tax in the nation. The tax on cigarettes here in Cook County is so high a pack of cigarettes is over $7. Gas taxes, most of which go to fund ridiculous things, have our gasoline up to $4.35 a gallon when others are finally seen the prices drop below $4. Don't get me wrong, I could go on for days about California and the same stuff, but they also have two very Democratic / Liberal Senators

Here is a snippet of what I see as HUGE waste of tax payer funds in IL. Schools: The schools are nice, education is great, my son was SPED and where in California he stayed that way for 4 years, they mainstreamed him in 1 year here with the help provided. That was awesome. Now the downside. Every damn child has a bus. From Kindergarten through High School. If you live further than 1/4 of a mile from any school you are picked up and driven to school. If you live across any street that could be more than 2 lanes, you get a bus. We initially lived about 100 yards from my son's Junior High, but it was across a main street. Granted there were TWO signals, and the cost of a crossing guard would probably have been more efficient, but my son got bus service. As did all the other kids in our area, two buses worth. Now he's in High School, and since we've moved we are in an area with no sidewalks. Sidewalks are hit and miss which I find very strange. During rain / snow, Sean gets picked up at the end of our driveway. As does every other child in that situation. So you have 30 of the 45 High School students getting door to door bus service. (Can't pick up more than that, no time) In California, we had Proposition 13. I didn't know buses were used for anything except rare field trips and sports. Believe it or not, we all made it to school. I'm not saying all bus service should be suspended as in California, weather plays a part in that, but I am VERY sure there is a more efficient way to do this, and not at the tax payers expense.

The second thing is the number of Police Departments. Police and Fire Departments are very expensive branches of most Cities. In California, you have your main Departments, such as LAPD. Cities either use LAPD, or if they are in an unincorporated part of the City, they contract to the Sheriff's Department. A few have their own, such as Burbank, but they are much larger cities. The city I grew up in is over 100,000 and yet for cost efficiency, they contract to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. Makes sense and saves money. In IL, every single city has their own Police and Fire Dept. Every single city gets tax money to help run their own Department. The little city I used to live in has 24,000 people and funds their own through taxes. Now where I am is larger, maybe 50K but again they have their own. Times that by at least 100 small cities just in the County I am in, and you can imagine the waste of tax payer money. Then, you have this fun fact. I live very close to a Fire Station. If my house were burning down, they'd notice But it's the wrong city. They can't do anything, they'd have to wait for the Fire Trucks from MY city to come who are much further away. Then if the offer is given and accepted, they could help fight the fire, because we don't want any stepping on toes. Cha-ching.

Every single night I hear about things our Politicians are doing. I hear about investigations from the Governor down. I hear about all this funding and watch the prices of everything go up. I have not heard about one single tiny little BIT of Legislation that Obama has proposed to help the people of the lower and middle class pay less IL state taxes. Isn't that his big talking point? I hear proposals as to how our taxes are going to go up, how many more entitlements our state is considering that need funding we don't have, but never how they are going to be paid for in this over budgeted, expense riddled state.

My greatest fear is the rest of the United States is going to be run like Illinois. There is a huge difference between wanting to Change and help people with certain entitlements (Pell Grants for example) if you can't find funding because you don't know thing one about cutting the fat and poor management from other things. I feel that is a major concern. What Obama wants to do will cost you and I tons and tons of tax dollars. Proof is here, in Illinois, that he doesn't know how to come up with the funds by cutting out things not necessary.

One last thing, I'll try to keep it short since I'm rambling . . . I see people moving / retiring in droves to Arizona. I sure as heck don't see them moving to Illinois

K

P.S. As an addendum to my School rant, all of our District High Schools are getting AstroTurf Football fields at the tax payers expense We don't want little Johnny having a difficult time playing Football in the weather!!!