Free Republic

llinois is like Venezuela now, a fiscally broken state that has lost its will to live, although for the moment, we still have enough toilet paper. But before we run out of the essentials, let's finally admit that after decade upon decade of taxing and spending and borrowing, Illinois has finally run out of other people's money. Those "other people" include taxpayers who've abandoned the state. And now Illinois faces doomsday. So as the politicians meet in Springfield this week for another round of posturing and gesturing and blaming, we need a plan. And here it is:

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Two retirees from United Auto Workers Local 662 picketed its office for cutting off their pension. The UAW local, which represents workers at Delphi Corp., cut off benefits and pension supplements for its 10 retired maintenance men and secretaries Wednesday. Only one part-time maintenance person still works at the union hall. Two of the retirees -- Bob Harris, 59, and Rubion Isbell, 67, began picketing outside the union hall Wednesday. "I don't know what I'm going to do," said Harris, who lost his health insurance and half his $1,500-a-month pension. The union hall employees are unionized with...