Taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for such costly promises as they struggle to find opportunities of their own.

The Illinois Senate’s proposed budget deal is full of tax hikes because it lacks the necessary spending reforms needed to right Illinois’ fiscal ship.

On average, Illinois schools spend $13,077 per student.

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.

The governor should reject tax hikes and push for the structural spending reforms Illinois needs to fix its fiscal crisis and improve its economy.

Despite taxing both sales and income, Illinois has higher property taxes than every single state that does not charge an income tax.

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.