State Senator Dale Righter, of Illinois’ 55th District, compared criticizing former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevitch to shooting fish in a barrel.

“Anyone can do it,” he said.

State Representative Chapin Rose, of Illinois’ 110th District, said the ongoing economic downturn, in combination with a misuse of power by the former governor, contributed to growth of the Illinois’ budget deficit.

“In Illinois, the recession, combined with a lack of fiscal discipline by previous administrations, has deepened the state’s dire financial situation,” according to a summary within the Illinois state budget for fiscal year 2010.

Approximately 70 members of the campus community, mostly university employees and faculty, crowded into the Charleston-Mattoon Room at the Martin Luther King Jr.

University Union Wednesday to meet with Righter and Rose.

The two Republicans discussed the state’s budget deficit, legislative redistricting reform and education funding.

Rose said the net state budget deficit at the beginning of the next fiscal year is projected to be between $7.2 billion and $7.5 billion, despite reports that it could be as much as 12 billion, and cited that neither he nor Righter voted to approve the current state budget on July 15 of last year.

“You can’t just kick the can down the road by voting to borrow more money and figuring it out later,” Rose said.

Righter and Rose agreed that cutting costs would be the most effective way to get Illinois out of the red.

Rose said the state could reasonably cut $3 billion to $4 billion without anyone missing it, and that these cuts would improve efficiency.

“This stuff is upside down; there are so many inefficiencies out there,” Rose said.

Righter and Rose said that restructuring is imperative, and that reforming the way in which Illinois draws legislative districts is one of the most important reform decisions Illinois voters could make in the coming elections.

“Budgets come and go, governors come and go, ups and down come and go, but there has been one consistent trend in the state of Illinois for the past three decades,” Rose said. “We are the only state in the union that draws legislative maps by picking a lot out of Abraham Lincoln’s hat, and it’s winner take all…that is not healthy for anyone.”

Righter said that more information on legislative district reform could be found at illinoisfairmap.org.

“I think it’s one of the most significant bumps in credibility that the state could give itself,” Righter said.

Neither Righter nor Rose could speculate on whether a budget for the coming fiscal year would be prepared by July, or whether Eastern would soon receive the remainder of its $60 million appropriations.

Righter referred to the delays in the payment of appropriations as a cash flow problem.

“We have urged the comptroller and the governor to focus on health care and education issues,” Righter said.

Near the end of the forum, Righter invited everyone in the audience to travel to Springfield and attend a meeting of the Illinois General Assembly.

“You’ll be encouraged by some of the things you see, and you’ll be discouraged by some of the things you see,” Righter said. “The level of uninformed debate there is astounding.”

Although Righter was 10 minutes late for the forum, he stayed to answer questions posed by members of the audience for an additional 45 minutes after the forum was scheduled to adjourn.

Eastern’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois sponsored the event.

“It is beneficial for members of the campus community and the surrounding communities to know each other’s concerns and to understand them,” said John Allison, the president of UPI.

Jason Hardimon

can be reached at 581-7942

or [email protected]