The Chicago Tribune asked its readers what the next governor will need to do. The journalist picked out a few representative ones which have previously been cited in this letters section. They are as follows: Do what is best for all, compromise, talk with-not at-people, invest in all of Illinois, cut redundant government bodies, fix pension mess, freeze property taxes, take care of the less-fortunate, term limits, and, of course, income taxes.

Suggested fixes have been proposed here for many months and years, but those people we elect don’t implement them. Why do we keep re-electing them if they don’t solve, but increase our problems.

The state finances are a mess and I have proposed how to fix them within ten years. All the problems can be solved if the people we elect have the guts to fix them even if they might not be in office after the next election. Doing what is right can be called “term limits” and not going what is right is called “staying in office.” Doing what is right doesn’t get them re-elected.

I bet enough of the voters will keep those who blame the other party or governor for letting the state’s mess continue. Senator John McCain is dead and buried. Wouldn’t it be nice if his aisle crossing, ethics, and putting his country (not his voters) first be our main reason to elect a person?

I must be a political enigma to readers, friends and the two major political parties. I now consider myself an independent that has a wide span of views. I have always voted for the candidate I thought was best for the overall good of America. I voted for LBJ, Reagan, Clinton, Gore, signed McCain’s petition and governor’s of both parties. I have financially supported individuals of both parties here and in other states. (My mail is very diverse.)

As Obama recently said in a speech, “All politicians lie and when they get caught,” fess up. I have seen almost every President since Kennedy take blame for something done in his name or some lie he said. Obama said many of today’s leaders constantly lie and their people have become inured to it.

If a person lies constantly, how can people believe anything they say or do? In today’s world of narcissism and Internet lies, is it possible social mores have taken a backseat to commonsense? Is appealing to lowest common denominator the way to get ahead in today’s cultures? Is making some people the bogeyman because of their skin color, ethnicity, or religion again becomes the way to gain support? Is anarchy the new way because anarchists always end up being the one despised or dead?

In today’s world much of the divisiveness has originated from carefully crafted Russian planning and operations. A few years ago we sent several Russian moles back home. Now the FBI has found a twenty-something woman who has infiltrated the NRA and an un-named politician to gain influence and divide us further. How much of the Russian operations caused people to vote for someone? Commonsense says Trump and the Russians are against our morals, beliefs and history. Someone believes making money is the ultimate goal. Getting to the top of the food chain and dominating everyone else is their only plan. Does President Trump consider his ideal leader to be Kim, XI, or Vladimir?

In November, we will have a choice to make in many Congressional Districts. Illinois is a blue state with few Republican representatives. Most are moderate because being a far right winger would not get them elected in today’s political environment. About five cycles ago most of the Republican moderates across the nation were defeated by radicals.

The cycle presents a real quandary for those of us who are real centrists. The moderates may not agree with the far right nut cases in many instances but they vote how President Trump tells them. Keeping Trump from destroying what the past ten Presidents have built for America may mean Illinois voters must elect Democratic replacements.

I don’t want Congress to swing too far to the left either but Donald Trump’s quest to destroy the fabric of our great nation must be stopped. He has rolled back the financial, environmental, and workplace regulations that were onerous when enacted but most were workable and good for us. Instead of reducing our massive debt he has increased it on the scale of Greece. He is used to running up debt, taking a profit and then declaring bankruptcy. America can’t do that.

Richard Nixon’s paranoia did not get us into such a mess as we are now entering into during this Presidential term. To take the first step we need for the Republican moderates to walk away from Trump or to lose their seat in Congress. We can’t have Representatives standing behind their leaders who have stood on the dais with Trump telling us how great he is.

Lying every day isn’t any way to run America.