From the Rafael Rivadeneira for State Rep in 41st Campaign:
Our corrupt and inefficient state government is one of the biggest issues we face in Illinois. Our politicians are being paid above-average salaries, the General Assembly is consistently passing pork-projects and wasteful programs, and our spending has gone out-of-control. The time has come for Illinois to halt its path of corruption and wastefulness and start providing quality, effective government.
Salary Reduction
We need to take several steps to regain the trust and respect of Illinois residents. As your state representative, I would support a pay reduction for all elected officials. Currently, members of the House make a base salary of roughly $65,000, and House Speaker Mike Madigan makes over $90,000 for his position of leadership. Elected officials should not be in office for the salary, and we owe it to the citizens to reduce our pay. States with large salaries, like California (roughly $105,000), Michigan (roughly $80,000), and New York (roughly $80,000) are examples of why higher salaries do not provide a better government.