If you feel no one is listening to your concerns about the state budget impasse, you’ll have a chance to be heard Thursday night.
“What is it about Illinois that it can’t pass a budget when every other state in the United States seems to be able to do that?” asked AARP Illinois Director Bob Gallo.
The forum is seeking to showcase stories of how the impasse has impacted residents. Gallo said he has heard from many who have felt a cut in services. And he’s talked to several who question the future direction of the state.
The lack of a full budget has hit social service agencies and higher education especially hard. At the same time, the state's backlog of bills keeps climbing. Gallo points out taxpayers will eventually have to pay that tab.
His organization has launched a campaign called "Enough Is Enough" to raise awareness and get people involved.
‘We can’t just sit back and let other people decide what our future is going to be like,” he said. “It’s the citizens of the state and the voters of the state who have to make the demands on our elected officials. So when people don’t think that their voices matter, let me tell you they do.”
The event begins April 27 at 5 p.m. with refreshments and the program starts at 6 p.m.
