Cash-Strapped Illinois Spends $1,166 per Bird to Import Prairie Chickens From Kansas

Like most states run by liberals, Illinois has been experiencing cash flow problems. But apparently that’s no reason to ease up on the waste:

Our cash-strapped state government has found a new use for its fleet of aircraft — flying birds into Illinois. …

State aircraft are flying to Kansas and transporting prairie chickens back to the Land of Lincoln.

And at a time state lawmakers are looking at raising the state income tax, Illinois state employees have been hiking across Kansas trapping these chickens.

In case you are wondering why anyone would want to do this,

“Illinois is the Prairie State and prairie chickens are an endangered species here, so we thought it would be a good idea to bring them back,” said Scott Simpson, site manager for Prairie Ridge State Natural Area in Newton, Ill.

At least only Illinois residents have to pay for this lunacy. No wait:

The feds are chipping in $337,000 toward the program and the state will pay $117,000.

Federal standards of economic efficiency apply:

So far this year, the state has relocated 50 cocks and 41 hens. That puts the cost of the program at $1,166 per bird.

Here is the backdrop to this story in moonbat-run Illinois, the state that gave us Barack Obama:

It ought to be pointed out that this is all happening at a time that basic state services are being cut, state pensions are underfunded by more than $100 billion and Illinois has at least $6.7 billion in unpaid bills. And now lawmakers are backpedaling on their promise to let the “temporary” 67 percent income tax hike expire.

On the federal level, the national debt exceeds $17.5 trillion and continues to rocket upward.

Since Democrats will never stop wasting other people’s money, the debt will continue to climb until the economy can no longer sustain it. Then everything falls to pieces. Kansas prairie chickens who want to immigrate to Illinois will have to make their own arrangements as the government focuses on attempting to maintain order.

prairie-chicken
To our rulers, $1,166 per bird of our money is chicken feed.

On a tip from Dan Feely. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

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