To the Editor:

The July 2 story in the Northwest Herald regarding the passing of the Illinois budget struck me as just a bit ludicrous. While there are social service agencies in McHenry County (such as Family Service) closing their doors (in part) due to the state’s supposed inability to pay its debts, we read that in order to pass the current budget, lawmakers are providing monetary incentives to pet organizations to secure budget votes.

And while the agencies and amounts mentioned in the article might very well be worthy recipients (i.e., $1.1 million to bus children to religious schools, $2 million to the Chicagoland Regional College Program, etc.), we must ask ourselves why lawmakers feel it’s practical to fund special projects in order to get someone’s vote, yet they refuse to pay money already earmarked for agencies and schools.