South Central Reporter

GOP candidate Blaine Wilhour is disappointed that Illinois taxpayers might be on the hook for the Barack Obama Presidential Center.

"Once again Illinois taxpayers are being fleeced,” WIlhour said in an interview with South Central Reporter. “Last year, lawmakers passed into law a massive 32 percent tax increase. Now, this year they are putting even more taxpayer money into the Obama Presidential Library, which could be funded completely with private funds.”

Wilhour, who is running against Democrat David Seiler for the 107th House District, believes that Obama should raise funds for the center and not leave Illinois taxpayers covering the cost -- a move that is standard practice in Springfield, he said.

Blaine Wilhour

“Surely, [Obama] would have little trouble raising the money in the private sector,” Wilhour said. "Sneaking money into the budget at the last minute for the Obama Presidential Library is typical of how things are done in Springfield. It was done at the last minute and no one even knew all of the details of what was in the budget."

Wilhour also believes this type of budgeting is one of the major problems in the state, and it has also led to a lack of accountability and transparency.

"Before we spend taxpayer money on the Obama Presidential Library, Illinois needs to get its financial house in order,” he said. “There are other, more pressing ways taxpayer money should be spent.”

While Wilhour doesn't see a need to limit funding for projects, he does object to spending so much on a single library.

"If we have the money to spend, then so be it,” he said. “But the fact is we don’t have the money to spend. So, we shouldn’t be spending money we don’t have, and we most certainly should not be raising taxes to pay for this project.”

The Obama Center should be funded entirely by the private sector, Wilhour said.