Illinois Babies Score Cash

I believe in the power of education. I also know this simple fact: You can’t spend what you don’t have.

That brings us to an initiative passed by the Illinois House of Representatives, on its way to the Senate. House bill 2237 has the state giving each baby born in Illinois 50-bucks to start a college savings account.

These folk spend my money so easily.

The bill passed the House 66-42 because the Democrats want it. There are  155,000 births per year in Illinois---meaning the annual bill will be around $10-million dollars. Last check, Illinois had over 7-billion dollars in unpaid bills. Separately, state pension funds are unfunded by over 150-billion.

But we are going to print a crisp $50-dollar bill for every baby with the misfortune of being born in this bankrupt state. Like $50-bucks will help them 18 years down the road with tuition. Fifty bucks won’t buy a single book.

What prompts this behavior?

Democrats say….hey….we won’t have to keep funding it at the same cost because kids will get to the age…and decide not to use it.

And then there will be fewer kids because of outbound migration. Kids will instead be born in Indiana. Ahhh..we can just send them a check.  

Albert Einstein never lived in Illinois….but his words perfectly capture our state legislature. He once said----“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”