If you know me, you know where I stand on a lot of things. Having a website affords me the opportunity to express thoughts on what is of interest to me in my own space, void of censure.
That’s kind of cool, don’t you think…??!!
This morning, I read an article regarding Illinois legislation activity that caught my attention. I thought I’d share my thoughts.
On Discord
Office culture has certainly changed in the past decade.
In days past, our field offices typically had a radio playing with WBBM news radio on. Background noise. We’d listen to the news. We’d have Rush Limbaugh on midday. We’d listen. We’d debate. Nobody had their feelings hurt if we disagreed.
I’m sure our crews were somewhat of an echo chamber since we all, pretty-much, shared the same general value systems: Work hard. Provide & support our families. Save for retirement. Have a couple of hobbies.
Whereas the field offices of old used to be places for spirited exchange on the news and topics of the day, now, our offices have become sterilized. HR policies. Less confrontational. More potential for hurt feelings.
Times change. The climate for discord has changed.
I avoid discussing politics or policy in the office. I just listen. I choose to not inject my views. I’m not going to change anyone’s mind on an issue, so there’s no need to engage or debate. Best to keep busy & quiet.
But, this morning, this article brought me to wanting to share a couple of thoughts on something I read:
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-moves-over-300m-out-of-road-fund-as-infrastructure-crumbles/
The article discusses road funding reappropriations. In our line of work, obviously, it caught my attention.
My takeaway: I just don’t understand.
On Funding
We all have households. Mouths to feed. Bills to pay. Repairs to make.
A state government has the same challenges as each of our families do. And I get it.
Just as our households make choices on what we do with what we have, so do governmental bodies. Do we replace the refrigerator that’s on the fritz, or do we put new tires in the car? Do we cut the 10-day vacation down to 6-days to save a little on the trip?
When we dedicate money to be spent replacing broken appliances, it’s for broken appliances. We don’t shift it to the vacation fund.
And that’s how I feel about the current budgetary shift discussed in this article: The washing machine needs to be repaired or replaced, and we dedicated some of our paycheck to it. But legislators, by their votes, believe there are other programs where those dedicated funds would better-serve us.
On Politics
I don’t want to be a politician. It seems like a no-win occupation. Half of the people will be happy with your positions & decisions and the other half won’t. I realize we need trusted leadership to make policy decisions on our behalf. We entrust them with OUR tax dollars to spend them wisely.
When I read an article like this, about how funds that are set aside for the states infrastructure are being shifted, it simply makes me question leadership’s priorities.
The refrigerator is a vital piece of our household’s infrastructure. Life without it would be extremely difficult if & when it breaks down.
And so is the case with our states infrastructure. Things break. Repairs are needed. Our mobility, our standard of living, the movement of goods and services depend on it. Mobility is vital to a thriving society.
I don’t know how the $308 million that was shifted out of the road fund is being used. I don’t know why it isn’t being stapled to what it was appropriated for. Maybe I need to dig deeper to understand.
And I’m sure some might say I’m simply a yellow-tied toady who is carrying water for an industry & funding stream that puts food on my table. Obviously, I’m going to advocate for my industry.
But, I’m also trying to be pragmatic: The refrigerator is making a funny sound. It needs to be replaced. We set money aside this year specifically to replace it. This is a household priority for us.
How did we decide that it’s no longer a priority? That there are more important things that need the money now? And what happens when the refrigerator craps-out? Do we have money available?
I realize there is a slant to the article on where the money is being diverted. I get it. I’m not going to sensationalize the funding shifts based on a few one-off spending appropriations deemed to be “pork.” Let’s stick to the general theme.
The question is begging to be asked & answered:
Are funds appropriated for infrastructure being shifted appropriately? Both for the short and long terms? And what happens when the “infrastructure refrigerator” craps out? How do we pay to fix it?
I just don’t understand.
But, in actuality, I do understand. And I don’t agree. And that’s OK. That’s what’s beautiful about our country and our society: We can agree to disagree.
What do you think?