Sunday's Tribune editorial on Medicaid claims those who voted "No" have no right to vote "Yes" for more money for schools or public safety.

The State is in a fiscal pit brought on, I would argue, by far too many people not willing to vote, “No.”

Perhaps someone other than I voted “No” more often in the Illinois General Assembly, but I doubt it.

I know that when the Illinois Conservative Union was keeping track of budget votes in the 1970’s I voted to appropriated less money than anyone else. (Ask John Curry, who did the tallies.)

And I didn’t vote for Governor George Ryan’s Illinois FIRST bonding program for which my 14-year son will still be paying off, if he doesn’t leave Illinois to avoid that and other burdens, when he is in his late 20’s. A lot of that money went to pay for asphalt, a road surface that needs replacement about every five years and most assuredly should not be financed with 25-year bonds.

But in the fairly large vote to cut welfare’s medical benefits last week, State Rep. Jack Franks cast a vote against reform by voting “No.”

Voting in favor in the House, as explained in this press release, was State Rep. Mike Tryon.

Kent Gaffney did not vote.

State Senator Pam Althoff and Dan Duffy also supported the changes.