Illinois has more than $8 billion in unpaid bills, that is made up of bills for services already rendered that the state can't afford to pay for now. The state owes money to businesses that provide everything from pens, bullets, food and health care for the elderly.
Families in Illinois have been forced to live within their means and adjust their budgets for the new financial reality we all are facing. Why is it that career politicians, like Pat Verschoore, can't do the same thing by standing up to special interests and saying no to pet projects being pushed by their Chicago leaders?
The Illinois Constitution mandates that the General Assembly pass a balanced budget where spending does not exceed the estimated revenue for that fiscal year. What a great idea; if only politicians would follow the law we wouldn't be facing record debt levels and more than $8 billion in unpaid bills.
I have a solution to solve the problems created by politicians irresponsibly spending more of our money, and it's simple. If Springfield can't pass a balanced budget, then don't pay the politicians because they have failed at their jobs. If you or I were hired to do a job, then didn't perform the work, we wouldn't expect to get paid; it shouldn't be any different for politicians.
When I get to Springfield I would only vote for budgets that spend less than the estimated revenue for that fiscal year. And until the backlog of unpaid bills is paid off, the budget must dedicate part of revenues toward paying off old bills. It won't eliminate the backlog overnight, but it will be the first step in the right direction toward fiscal solvency in Illinois.
Politicians have not only failed to curb their spending addictions, their addictions have gotten so bad that they just couldn't deal with the thought of having to cut their bloated state government and raised our taxes so they could keep spending. When will it end?
I will never support an income tax increase, especially at a time when Illinois families are hurting. Adding more money to government does not create solutions, it just gives politicians the ability to make more problems. The "temporary" tax increase co-sponsored by Verschoore and passed by Illinois Democrats needs to be immediately repealed. Illinois families cannot afford to continue sending more money to Springfield so that Chicago gets taken care of while the rest of Illinois is forgotten.
On my first day in office I will introduce a bill that will repeal the Quinn-Verschoore tax increase and I will also introduce a bill that stops the favoritism Chicago gets in education and transportation funding.
We all know that Illinois is on the edge of a fiscal cliff. If we keep going in the same direction the results will be devastating. What we have been doing in the past has failed. I pledge to be a new breed of leader in Illinois that will transform our state by doing what is right and not what will keep getting me reelected.

Neil Anderson is the GOP candidate for Illinois 72nd District state representative.