How fares our ship of state?

Welcome to Illinois Held Hostage: Day 41.

Losing services to our elderly and youngsters is painful to watch, but the continuing budget impasse is bringing to light some aspects of state spending that are worth scrutiny.

Meals on Wheels for elderly shut-ins is a pretty clear need in our community. Tax dollars for bingo, movies and virgin daquiris is not.

The World Shooting Complex in Sparta is under the gun. It costs the state $3.4 million a year to run the place, an investment that lost us $1.5 million from 2004-2011 and fell far short of the glowing $100 million projections used to sell us the place.

The Illinois Constitution, which lawmakers keep using as a shield from their responsibilities, mandates a balanced budget by July 1. They delivered a $4 billion “unconstitutional” deficit budget. They continue collecting their pay while shirking their obligation, while allowing the closing of day cares and while allowing the halting of elderly meals.

As the lawmakers dither and the state employee unions organize yet another protest to highlight the “dangerous Rauner cuts,” you have to ask: Are kids and the elderly at risk because of Dangerous Bruce’s arrival on deck five minutes ago, or is our entire state at risk of sinking further with Rauner the only one trying to bail — and doing so with a soggy paper cup.

This story was originally published August 9, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "How fares our ship of state?."