We have two major issues crushing Illinois' affordability. First, Illinois has the largest state government of any state in the country, despite being only the sixth largest by population. We also have a pension system that needs major reform. I am not anti-union, but I am anti-ridiculous.

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Let's talk about the size of our state government first.

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• We are funding over 8,000 government units with a population of 12,812,508 across 102 counties.

• California is funding 4,494 government units with a population of 39,538,223 across 58 counties.

• Florida is funding 1,650 government units with a population of 23,372,215 across 67 counties.

• Moreover, Florida has approximately 3 million kids in school with 67 school districts. Illinois has approximately 2 million kids in school with 859 school districts. Why?

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SOLUTIONS

• Consolidate 102 counties down to 50

• Consolidate 859 school districts into 50 county unified school districts

• Liquidate 1,429 township governments, not the 1,398 township road districts

• Remove school funding from property taxes

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That last point is huge. Our current system is inequitable in the sense that affluent suburbs will always have better educational resources than city kids, because affluent suburbs pay higher property taxes. I shouldn't be able to ask you for your zip code and predict your chances in life. 60614, Lincoln Park, you are on the gravy train. 60623, Lawndale, hope you make it to your 19th birthday.

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We will cover this more in the Education and Public Safety sections, because we all know education and crime go hand in hand. Indiana, California, and Hawaii have all reformed their systems to fund education out of a general fund. Please take a look at Illinois House Bill 5570 and Illinois Senate Bill 2779, which propose feasibility studies on removing the school system from property tax funding. This reform could reduce property taxes by 60%, addressing our affordability crisis and protecting seniors who are being taxed out of their homes. Unfortunately, the people in Springfield have no appetite for reform because they are on the gravy train, which brings us to pensions.

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PENSIONS

Let's start with some numbers. Illinois has a population of 12,812,508. We have 1,599,753 people on pensions, roughly 12.5% of our population. As more people leave the state, each remaining taxpayer carries a larger share of the debt. According to the Wall Street Journal, every taxpayer in Illinois carries approximately $85,000 in pension liability, split evenly between the city and the state.

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We have 7 pensioners making over $500,000 a year. We have 32,000 pensioners making over $100,000 a year. In 2024, the average taxpayer made $69,000 per year, while the average pensioner made $93,000 per year. The people working full time and supporting retired pensioners are making nearly $25,000 a year less. Unconscionable.

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The enormous number of pensioners is a direct result of our bloated state government. That bloat was deliberate, designed to create a supermajority. It was engineered by a man nicknamed "The Velvet Hammer, The Real Governor of Illinois," who, as of October 2025, checked into a federal penitentiary. As we know, our governors tend to serve three terms: two in Springfield and one in prison.

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SOLUTIONS

A state cannot file for bankruptcy, as I understand it, but some pension recipients will have to take a haircut. San Jose and Arizona have gone through this process. We cannot afford part-time jobs that pay over $100,000 a year. Napoleon Harris III is both a State Senator and Supervisor of Thornton Township, two part-time jobs paying him over $300,000 a year. The 9 commissioners of the Water Reclamation District work 69 hours a year for $80,000 plus benefits. This all has to stop.

 

Perhaps we should consider capping these positions at $67,000, the same amount the average full-time Illinois taxpayer earns. If you cannot make it on $67,000 in a part-time government job, find another part-time job and see what that pays you.