South Central Reporter

Blaine Wilhour, a Beecher City Republican running in the GOP primary in the 107th House District for the seat being vacated by Rep. John Cavaletto (R-Salem), has become energized by feeling tired and weary.

“I have just grown weary of sitting on the sidelines watching as our government squanders all of our advantages and opportunities,” Wilhour told the South Central Reporter. “We are an asset-rich state and there is no excuse for us to be in the terrible financial situation we are in. Let’s face it, Illinois is broken. The politicians, bureaucrats and special interests have broken it. I just feel like it is time for the doers in society to step up and lead.”

Wilhour sees himself fitting that description in his Republican primary run for state representative against Laura Myers of Greenville.

Blaine Wilhour

“I have always been one of those people,” he said. “I have spent my entire career in the private sector. I have started a business from scratch, risked my own capital. I have a proven track record when it comes to leading, managing, creating jobs in our region and getting results. I think that we need to send more folks like that to Springfield. People that know what it takes to win in the real economy because they have done it.”

Part of Wilhour’s platform has also been about pushing for term limits and tighter spending restrictions.

“I am a strong supporter of term limits,” he said. “What happens is people get into office and they fall in love with the power and privilege of the position and they become more concerned about their political future than doing the tough and necessary things that would move the state forward. Public service is important to me. We need more true public servants. These positions were never meant to be a career.”

Wilhour said the spending cap he envisions would tie the growth in spending to the growth of the economy.

“This is a tough, but responsible measure,” he added. “There are two ways to start to get out of our terrible economic situation: control spending and grow the economy.”

Wilhour said the state’s spiraling taxes and lack of opportunity has led to out-migration becoming the state’s biggest problem.

“How are we going to address our obligations going forward with a constantly shrinking tax base,” he said. “We are in a moral and fiscal death spiral. We need reforms now. Reforms that will bring jobs, opportunities, and values back to our area.”

Wilhour added his campaign is all about reforming Springfield, and as part of his blueprint plan he doesn’t plan on taking a pension if he is elected.

“We need major economic reforms that will allow us to compete with the states around us,” Wilhour said. “Reforms like worker's comp, property tax reform, stability in budgeting thru spending caps, regulatory reforms and sustainable pension reforms. We have to be able to attract investment to our state. Moving forward on these reforms is how you create the stable and sustainable environment that allows the economy to thrive and good jobs to be created.”