Illinois government failing, religious leaders say

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By Kenneth Lowe | Friday, June 20, 2008 |

SPRINGFIELD — The ethics of the current General Assembly and governor have been called into question, examined and debated frequently over the past legislative session, even by legislators themselves. But people of faith are saying the question of whether Illinois state government is acting morally is of greater importance.

A growing deficit, delayed payments to health-care providers, a lack of hiring new workers for vacant positions, all set to a backdrop of infighting among the Democratic leadership in the House, Senate and governor’s office, have given many religious leaders a poor view of how the state cares for its citizens.

Paul Kaplan, a rabbi for the Moses Montefiore Congregation in Bloomington, said the action and inaction of state officials is setting a bad example for people of the state.

“From a religious and general ethical standpoint, where is the notion of selfless public service on a state or even national level?” Kaplan said. “There is no sense of real public service anymore.”

Kaplan said the question is whether or not the government is capable of helping its citizens in areas like education, health care and other human services.

“If government has the ability to deliver those kinds of services to its citizens, not doing so is a violation of morals,” Kaplan said.

George Gordon, a retired professor of political science at Illinois State University and a member of Kaplan’s temple, said Illinois’ constitutional mandates on education funding, which has seen cuts, and the problems the state has had paying down its Medicare bills are more than just violations of the law.

“Somewhere in the Prophets section of the Bible, there is the statement, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself,’” Gordon said. “Illinois has a lot of these kinds of things codified in law. For the state not to be delivering them is a violation of law and by extension a violation of ethics.”

Kirk Smith, a senior pastor at the Albion House of Prayer in Edwards County, said the problems with state government reflect badly on the people of the state.

“The fact that the behaviors of our present government officials are tolerated by the taxpayers of Illinois, I feel it is more of an indictment on us than on the politicians,” Smith said. “We are morally compromised as people.”

Smith, who gave the invocation at the start of the House’s session as the guest of state Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, said the situation is made worse by what he sees as a general apathy among those in the religious community in Illinois.

“I personally consider it almost a sin not to vote,” Smith said. “If the religious community ever wakes up to our power, it will transform politics. For some reason, we are naive at best and just plain ignorant at worst.”

David Pinkerton, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Raleigh, said he believes Springfield legislators need the prayers of constituents to overcome many of the weighty problems they face.

“I realize that they have a difficult job and if I am praying the way that I need to, I will trust that God will intervene in their affairs and they will be able to come to resolutions that will come to the best interests of the citizens of the state,” Pinkerton said.

Pinkerton said voters should hold their elected officials to a higher standard of not just ethical, but moral behavior, and said the recent corruption allegations against Tony Rezko and the possible link between his conviction and Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s is an unfortunate situation.

“We should hold our elected officials to a very high moral standard,” Pinkerton said. “I feel bad that our governor would be dragged up in a number of issues like this.”

Pinkerton did say, however, that many lawmakers are trying to do the right thing, and he hopes they can move forward with the business of the state.

“The state legislature as a whole has the best interests of the populace in mind and can move past what has been done,” Pinkerton said. “I think now they can move forward and meet the need of the people.”

Kenneth Lowe can be contacted at Kenneth.lowe@lee.net or (217) 789-0865.