For three years in a row, the majority party in the state Legislature has failed in its most basic duty, which is to pass a balanced budget without spending additional taxpayer money in overtime sessions. Rod Blagojevich is gone, but his party still can't accomplish this core responsibility.

They now want Republicans to help. It would have been much easier to fix the problems if they had listened to us for the past 6?? half years.

But let's be clear. Senate and House Republicans will not participate in a phony, quick-fix that doesn't address underlying problems. We've had enough of that in the past six years. If Democrats want our help, they must be prepared to address the underlying issues that have paralyzed and poisoned Illinois -- excessive partisanship and one-party dominance.

The only competition Illinois is winning is the race to the bottom: 46th in the nation in job growth since 2003; 48th in the nation in economic performance; 43rd in the nation in economic outlook; third in the nation in population loss through out-migration.

The majority party failed the public on campaign finance reform and failed the voters on filling President Obama's Senate seat. In partnership with Gov. Blagojevich, they added a million people to the state's Medicaid rolls but have not reduced the uninsured or improved quality of care for the state's poor.

Why have they failed? Not because they are bad people. They failed because the system is fundamentally flawed. There needs to be significant ethical and economic reforms before we begin a discussion on new revenues.

The poison at the core is a system in which legislative districts have been gerrymandered to fix election results and insulate lawmakers from voters. When politicians get to pick their voters, instead of the voters picking their representatives, there is no accountability. And, without accountability, there is no pressure to fix the problems the state faces.

As we work toward a budget solution, putting an initiative on the November 2010 ballot to end gerrymandering must be a part of the discussions. Illinois needs an independent party to draw legislative district maps -- not an antiquated coin-flip system -- because it is clear nothing will change so long as politicians draw their own districts.

Until legislators owe their loyalty to the taxpayers, there will be no pressure to actually fix the problems facing Illinois.

Christine Radogno and Tom Cross are the Republican leaders of the Illinois Senate and House.