Illinois lawmakers need a new approach to budget-making – one that takes into account the state’s financial mess, shows respect for taxpayers, and prioritizes spending to meet the needs of the poorest and most disadvantaged residents.
Local governments create TIF districts to encourage development in “blighted” areas; but TIFs often don’t deliver on promised economic benefits, while they do divert tax dollars from other uses and create opaque slush funds for the mayor to reward insider developers.
Lisa Madigan lost the first round in her quest to stop state worker pay during Illinois’ budget impasse. But that doesn’t mean the matter is settled. The attorney general could take this issue all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court.
The governor should reject tax hikes and push for the structural spending reforms Illinois needs to fix its fiscal crisis and improve its economy.
Illinois’ combined state and average local sales tax rate is the highest in the Midwest.
Despite taxing both sales and income, Illinois has higher property taxes than every single state that does not charge an income tax.
The Civic Federation’s budget plan repeats old mistakes with multibillion-dollar tax hikes and no serious, structural reform.
Making Illinois’ system fairer through pension reform, consolidation and accountability to parents and students.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle grow more and more powerful as the size of state and local government increases.
Lawmakers need to look at the state’s major spending drivers instead of increasing taxes, which will continue to drive more people out of the state.
Despite the fact that the average AFSCME worker makes over $100,000 a year in total compensation, the union has made health care, salary and benefit demands that are out of line with what Illinois taxpayers can afford and would aggravate the state’s financial crisis.
The proposal would be part of the Senate’s “grand bargain,” which also includes a multibillion-dollar income tax hike.
A new report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shows Illinois has experienced falling tax collections, which may indicate trouble in the state economy; spending reforms – not tax hikes – are what Illinois needs to right its fiscal ship and boost economic growth.
Lawmakers should address wasteful spending in higher education, which is hurting students, their families, instructors and taxpayers.