The mission of the Institute for Truth in Accounting organization is to make more Americans aware of the facts regarding their government’s fiscal mess.
On their website are several good quotes, including this one from Sheila herself:
“We cannot make informed decisions if we are not told the truth.”
Unfortunately, we haven’t been getting the truth – neither at the national level nor at the state level here in Illinois.
I noted this last summer:
“When we talk about the needed Republican Renaissance on this website we’re talking about people running for office who can and will take an issue that’s being handed to them by the Democrats and run with it. There are many examples to be found both in Illinois and nationally. One issue that is especially easy to articulate is the fiscal state of the state. It’s a math problem that everyone knows can be solved.”
And:
“Americans understand the notion of budgeting, setting priorities, and the idea that if companies and individuals are over-taxed here, they’ll move to another state. If Republicans can’t build with that message, then Democrats will continue to hold power and the problem outlined so well by Sheila Weinberg will only get worse.”
Two years I ran quotes from Mrs. Weinberg that apply all the more today:
“The state is in worse financial shape than the citizens have been told. Twenty two years of ‘balanced’ budgets have resulted in $40 billion of debt.”
Republicans and Democrats share responsibility for that mess.
I would encourage you to visit the Institute’s website. Below are a few of the quotes that flash on the screen:
“An informed citizenry is the bulwark of democracy.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“Where is there dignity unless there is honesty?”
— Cicero
“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”
— George Orwell
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.”
— Aldous Huxley
“If our policy makers wait to address the growing deficits until they are out of control, the solutions will be drastic and painful. Let us hope that the current wake-up call is not ignored.”
— Dr. Thomas Saving, Economist, 2007
As the General Assembly session winds down in Springfield, you might find this interesting as well – for a detailed explanation about state issues, read their fifty state study:
“The Truth About Balanced Budgets: A Fifty State Study”
- States are taking on responsibilities that they are financially incapable of funding.
- State legislators are often unaware of the long-term costs and consequences of their spending programs and why they are creating unsustainable fiscal trajectories.
- State and local governments continue to use obsolete accounting standards to justify programs that would not be acceptable with truthful accrual accounting.
- No constituency for sustainable government exists.
