Op-ed by Joe Cahill, includes “… And that means we have to eliminate the constitutional barriers to sound budgetary practices, a step that rarely gets serious consideration in the ongoing debate over how to end Illinois' financial crisis. When it does come up, it's immediately dismissed as politically impossible. Yes, amending the constitution is hard. It requires a three-fifths vote of the Legislature and approval by the voting public, or a constitutional convention that could open up a Pandora's box of unanticipated changes. …”