Dear Friends,
Today, we are announcing Rebuild Illinois’ Real People for Reform Initiative with a call out to everyday people, Tea Party supporters, independents, conservatives, Republicans, libertarians, and Democrats to work for real change.
The politicians have let the people down. At the polls, voters in Illinois are saying that party doesn’t matter anymore. What they really want are independent candidates who will bring true reform to Illinois and the federal government before it is too late. 2010 is the year for reform and we cannot let this opportunity slip by us again – despite all the advantages of the corrupt insiders and the elites. The people of Illinois and the people of every state have the advantage of numbers. There are more of us – who want true independent reform – than there are of them.
As a result, I am announcing Rebuild Illinois’ Real People for Reform Initiative. The outline of our initial reform proposals are as follows and include some of the positive ideas for reform from government watchdogs, reform-minded think tanks, and political candidates that emerged this election season:
REBUILD ILLINOIS’ REAL PEOPLE FOR REFORM INITIATIVE
Rebuild Illinois will announce its own reform slate of candidates in an independent, non-partisan evaluation process and based on smaller government, free market philosophies, and full transparency.
Rebuild Illinois demands reform to Illinois’ pension abuse system of millionaires. We demand an end to early retirement, the double-dipping of more than 3,000 individuals with more than one state pension, an end to automatic cost of living adjustments that are annually compounded. Illinois is in an $80 billion dollar unfunded pension sinkhole and there is no end in sight.
Rebuild Illinois demands full transparency in Illinois’ finances. Let’s open the books to the government watchdogs, put everyone online, including state contracts and who donated what to whom. We need to open up the public bidding process to everyone – including small businesses – so that Illinois’ financial climate can be competitive once again and the taxpayers stop paying McCormick Place prices for basic goods and services. The sweetheart deals have ruined our state and our country.
Last but not least, we need to put a halt to all new spending programs and cut obvious waste – the result of corrupt influence peddling in Springfield. For example, the Illinois Policy Institute reports that in fiscal year 2009, Illinois state government spent $4.3 billion more than it brought in. Of that, $2 million was spent on 3-D teaching technology called “Classroom Cubed”, $920,000 on an aerospace education initiative, $3 million on a mentorship program for new principals, $4 million on teaching kids about healthy food habits, and $137,000 for nice porta-potties at the seven state parks. This is why our state is in the mess it is in.
Rebuild Illinois will raise funds to pursue legal actions to halt the Thomson Prison plan and the transfer of the Gitmo detainees and lawsuits against the Illinois Capitol’s approved Freedom from Religion display which included hateful speech against religion and religious people.
As the former Executive Director of the National Taxpayers United of Illinois, I have spent years calling out waste, fraud, and abuse of power. Today, we must work together to make sure there is a future for ourselves, our families, and our businesses. The corrupt politics of the past that has brought Illinois to the brink of insolvency cannot be allowed to continue. Please join with me and Rebuild Illinois today!
Faithfully,
William J. Kelly
Executive Director
Rebuild Illinois
