Income-tax revenue represents just one-sixth of the $6.1 billion the state gives to local governments every year. Proposed reforms would leave untouched the vast majority of that money.

If taxpayers can get a bigger bang for their buck, they should get it.

Local governments must pare their budgets, forcing them to identify best practices they should have found already.

Lake County gets back just 73 cents for every dollar it pays into the LGDF.

DuPage County gets back just 79 cents for every dollar it pays into LGDF.

As the state faces its most pressing budget crisis ever, it is time to rethink how much of its income-tax revenue it can afford to pass back to local governments.