Several years ago I walked into my house and found my then much younger children in the middle of a squabble. One was red faced and mad, one was near tears and one was pointing a finger at the other two.

As I tried to sort through the accusations and finger-pointing I looked down at the floor and noticed a broken lamp.

As my eyes water from the daily stench resonating out of Springfield, where once again gridlock has set in, I'm often reminded of that scene. We have some legislators red-faced and mad, others choked with anger and everybody seems to be pointing a finger at somebody else.

In short, our General Assembly in many ways resembles a bunch of bratty kids.

The annual routine in Springfield has grown tiresome, boring and predictable so count me as one that is fed up to the gills with the politics as usual and the public-be-damned attitude that has made Illinois the poster child for political corruption.

And before any partisan political hacks in today's audience start the usual banter of, "well, if the Democrats would do this … or if the Republicans would do that," … please don't. Simply stated, my disgust is bipartisan and extends to members on both sides of the aisle. I think we deserve better than what we're getting, period.

Go back and read the headlines from 2003 and 2004 and again in 2005 and now read about the things happening in Springfield these days. In fact, let me save you the trouble, because what you'll find in that reading assignment is that the partisan political bickering and backbiting has increased to the point that the will of the people has long been forgotten.

A legislative session in Springfield is no longer about what benefits taxpayers. It's now a game of one-ups-manship and getting re-elected. Before we reach agreement on the current session I really expect to hear some lawmaker proclaim, "hey, my dad can beat up your dad."

And how comforting for those of us here in Southern Illinois that three Chicago Democrats (Blagojevich, Madigan and Jones) are the only ones involved in budget talks. That certainly makes me know our many concerns are being addressed. Just think about what we're subjected to on a daily basis. The trial and conviction of former Republican Gov. George Ryan has made us privy to information that reads like a third-rate gangster movie - cash kickbacks, bribes, back room deals, free Jamaican vacations, blah, blah, blah. You know the rest. This fiasco, including the investigation, has dragged on for eight years and has been like a black cloud of corruption hanging over the entire state.

In all, 75 people from the Ryan administration have either been convicted or pleaded guilty. That's incredible by any standard. And that worn-out and oft-used line, "that's just politics," doesn't work with me anymore. What the good folks in Illinois have endured is not called "politics." It's called corruption, stealing, cheating, lying, deception and then walking over the top of anybody who dares raise a question.

In the case of Ryan, that means walking over the graves of six dead kids. And now there's yet another federal investigation in Illinois involving "Public Official A" - who many believe is current Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Does anybody want to join me in saying, "oh boy, here we go again."

On top of that the state is more than $1.7 billion behind on payments to doctors, pharmacies and hospitals. Millions of dollars in road projects and jobs are stalled and much-needed school construction projects have been on hold for years. Then factor in that the state's pension systems are underfunded by 40 percent, the state's bond debt has tripled in the past four years and only last week the state was given a "negative outlook" by one of the state's biggest bond-rating agencies. Combine all of that and it certainly makes me feel like singing, "Happy Days Are Here Again."

And with that hanging over our head, the proposed budget calls for more than $2 billion in new spending. Try to run your household the way state government in Illinois is run and see how far you get.

In the coming weeks, when the bickering, scheming, pension raids and bankrupting the future is finally completed in Springfield, the current legislative session will end. But sadly there will be no reprieve for weary Illinois residents because the free-for-all and bloodletting that will ensue in the gubernatorial race between Blagojevich and Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka will then begin.

In my view, voters appear to be left with a choice between the lesser of two evils.

In Blagojevich I see a guy who's personable but who continually makes me scratch my head and say out loud, "what's this guy thinking?" He's also the same guy who was elected on a promise of "no more business as usual" and then brought us three years of "pay to play government."

In Topinka we're looking in the rear-view mirror and as hard as I try I can't shake images of Alan Keyes' 90-day visit to Illinois and the now infamous polka with George Ryan. I see her as a bridge to the past and not the future. To sum up today's column, the state of the state these days is sorry.

Where's a good third-party candidate when you need one?

JIM MUIR is a columnist for The Southern Illinoisan and can be reached at writeon1@shawneelink.net