Earning Trust in Illinois

Well, we won't hold our breath over this one. As mentioned in the Trib editorial today, the Metropolitan Planning Council has a good idea to rank capital projects for the state based on sensible criteria, but of course this has to be adopted by our dysfunctional state government.

Democrats are in control--what's stopping them from acting responsibly? Republicans too:

If Republicans wanted to be Republicans, they should take the advice of Citizens Against Government Waste and the Illinois Policy Institute. They note that the problem with the state budget and its ballooning deficits isn't the lack of revenues, as so many assume. In fact, revenues are the highest ever, but expenditures are growing faster. In their "2008 Illinois Piglet Book," the organizations identified $686 million in waste. Here's some of what lawmakers believe we can't do without: pheasant and fur-bearing animal conservation; a culinary arts center; petroleum marketing; displaced homemakers counseling and training; salmon stamp design; Chinese erhu music; Polish folk dance; polar bear photo essays; grants, contracts and administrative expenses associated with the development of the Illinois grape and wine industry.

Earn our trust--sounds nice. Not likely in Illinois.