Monday, June 26, 2017

Illinois Is the New Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico may lose its number one poster child distinction
Of a government where spending and debt will lead to financial extinction
To the Land of Lincoln, home of the Windy City’s daily shooting sprees
Wallowing in the still air of gridlock of Reds and Blues who cannot on a budget agree
The chickens of insolvency are finally coming home to roost
With no budget soon junk bond status meaning a major interest boost
$150 billion of unfunded pension liabilities and over $13 billion in unpaid bills
Hobbled by a tax system that is not bringing enough funds into the state’s till
Shackled by a Supreme Court decision on banning cutting pensions with its collective heads buried in the sand
The state is marching headlong into a financial death spiral with the worse bond rating of any state in the land
Soon the bonds will be junk rated that no one in their right mind will want to buy
Even the state lottery is at risk and sales may soon be denied
A Red governor is trying to pull a fiscal rabbit out of the proverbial hat
Sound familiar with a Blue Speaker of the Assembly wanting to pin him and plans to the mat
The fiscal house of Illinois is burning right down to the ground
Only sights we see are fingers pointing and Blues fiddling are the only sounds
The legacy of years of too much to spend, too much to promise to the public unions that must end
Unions that supported by the State Supreme Court despite looming insolvency refuse to bend
The state does not tax retirement income no matter how much it is and that would be a could place to start
The unions are a major cause of the problem and their members need to be part of the solution and do their part
Hopefully the voters have a chance circulate petitions to these robed ostriches recall
Throw them out before Illinois crashes and burns into its self constructed insolvency wall
© June 26, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
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