As a new constituent of Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson, I take great offense to the statement he released about the governor's State of the State address.

How can Jackson expect me to believe that he really wants to see the governor cut spending and address the state's mountain of crippling debt when no less than 24 hours before the speech, Jackson voted to spend an additional $2.1 billion of our tax dollars?

That's right, Jackson was one of 63 Democrats who voted for House Bill 190, which started out as a small budgetary supplemental bill but quickly became. a loaded-up pork buffet. I can only guess Jackson decided to vote in favor of House Bill 190 because it sent an additional $9 million to the notoriously corrupt and inept East St. Louis School District 189. That and because Speaker Michael Madigan told him to.

If there's one thing that the residents who were gerrymandered into the new 114th District need to learn very quickly, it's this: Jackson only cares about two things. First, bringing home the pork for his political buddies in East St. Louis. Second, doing what Madigan tells him to do because the speaker gives him the money he needs to get re-elected.

Those of us in Freeburg, Smithton, Lebanon and all of the other areas new to the 114th District and Jackson are finding out the hard way that we, for all intents and purposes, have no true representative in Springfield.

Nick Miller

Lebanon