McHenry Times

The General Assembly will spend nearly $50,000 to replace the laptops of state representatives, an expense that Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) held up as an accessible and clear example for wasteful government spending in a recent blog post.

“There isn’t one of us in the House who thinks we need a new laptop. But somebody decided that at the end of this past session, all 118 members of the House … needed a new one,” Reick wrote in his post. “At an average price of $400 apiece, that means the state is ponying up some $47,000 to buy something none of us asked for and none of us need.”

Reick noted that laptops are useful legislative tools, allowing lawmakers to read staff updates and bill analyses on the House floor, but that the current laptops are fully functional. He acknowledged that the expense is a small line item in the state’s overall budget, but argued that it is a perfect illustration of waste.

Rep. Steve Reik (R-Woodstock)

“If you can’t wrap your head around a number as big as $36 billion, it’s not so hard to imagine spending $47,000 on something you have no use for,” Reick wrote. “This is just one example of the type of casual indifference to how the Illinois Legislature spends other peoples’ money. Think about all the others that you don’t hear about.”