Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman described the state fair subsidy unwittingly provided by Illinois taxpayers for a SmartMoney.com report:

For example, Illinois' two state fairs "are costing taxpayers much more than their ticket prices suggest," according to a 2010 paper for the Illinois Policy Institute. "One hundred percent of the people are subsidizing the few in attendance," says John Tillman, CEO of the nonpartisan research organization, noting that the fairs have lost between $3.5 and $4.5 million each year over the past few years. Taxpayer dollar are making up some of the shortfall, funding everything from salaries to prizes and other operating expenses, he says.