A few modest proposals for powers that be

Consolidate the state treasurer’s and comptroller’s offices.

Cut state spending by 4 percent to 5 percent across the board.

Eliminate the Government Service Administration.

Push to consolidate some of the state’s 870 public school districts.

Add gaming positions at existing casinos and racetracks.

Eliminate ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s free senior citizen rides on mass transit.

State Rep. Jim Sacia, of Pecatonica, has proposed changes he can believe in, but can state residents believe in them?

As Illinois faces a budget deficit of between $7 billion and $12 billion, proposals for big changes certainly should be given a fair hearing – even though Democrats run the state, and Sacia is a Republican.

In a recent guest column, Sacia offered money-saving suggestions in response to callers who want him to support higher taxes to maintain government services.

Instead, Sacia quoted a legislative colleague’s favorite remark: “We’ve got to starve this beast [state government] before we feed this beast.”

How do you “starve this beast”?

Sacia wants the state to trim spending by the aforementioned 4-5 percent, starting with lawmakers’ salaries.

He believes negotiations with state employee unions should be reopened to see whether workers would forgo a scheduled 4-percent salary increase.

A two-tier state pension system should be initiated, to trim pension payments for new hires.

What about school consolidation? “I know this won’t be easy,” Sacia wrote. “I spent 8 years on a school board, two as president, and I know how hard it is to kill a mascot, a community’s identity.”

Sacia also believes in cutting back on Medicaid eligibility from its current level of up to 400 percent of the poverty level. He noted that Medicaid is an unwieldy 40 percent of the current budget.

Along with reorganizing state government and boosting gambling, Sacia wants to start taxing deli sandwiches sold at grocery stories at the same rate as fast-food restaurants. “What will that generate? Certainly hundreds of thousands of dollars statewide,” he said.

Big ideas, to be sure – in reaction to big problems.

Gov. Pat Quinn knows something about big ideas. He spent his young adulthood promoting them.

Quinn supported creation of the Citizens Utility Board to oppose utility rate hikes. Also, he organized a statewide campaign to punish the Illinois Legislature for passing post-election pay raises in 1978. Quinn’s Cutback Amendment, which voters passed overwhelmingly in 1980, slashed 59 House seats, did away with cumulative voting, and established single-member House districts.