Illinois Democrats: I'll keep my raise thank you very much

Illinois Democrats are showing their true colors when it comes to a nearly $12 billion budget hole.
On Wednesday House Democrats blocked a GOP sponsored measure to prevent an annual 2.8 percent cost of living increase in lawmakers' salaries. The preventative measure would save the state about $2 million a year, according to Rep. Bill Black, a Danville Republican who sponsored the legislation. With a near $12 billion budget gap, an annual savings of $2 million isn't going to do much, but, as many struggling families know, every little bit helps. And that was the point of Black's proposition. Black told the Chicago Tribune he knew the measure would not help the budget much, but said it would show the people that lawmakers are doing their part.
But House Democrats did not see it that way. Black's measure failed 64-50 along party lines. While Democrats weren't willing to part with a pay raise, they're perfectly willing to ask the people of Illinois to shoulder the budget responsibility with talks of increased taxes. While 9.1 percent of the Illinois population is out of work, lawmakers are going to earn more money out of our pockets.