The holiday season is a time for giving. And, by the time Illinoisans complete their shopping, they’ll have given plenty – to state and local governments.

Cities and villages across the state are raising taxes or implementing new ones for a variety of functions, from attracting a fast-food restaurant to catching up on rising pension costs.

If aggrieved taxpayers don’t also demand fixes to underlying spending problems, calls for additional tax hikes will return. And they’ll be stronger than ever.

Illinois parents will pay the Midwest’s highest sales taxes on back-to-school shopping.

AFSCME officials proposed seven tax increases for Cook County as a way to save union jobs, including an increase in the county sales tax, a new head tax and doubling the amusement tax to 6 percent, despite the county’s local tax burden already being among the highest in the nation.

More than 50 Illinois counties, municipalities and business districts started imposing sales tax increases ranging from 0.25-1.5 percent as of July 1.

Illinois needs a taxpayer bill of rights to urge policymakers to budget based on available revenue — or be prepared to subject tax increases to direct voter approval.

Each Illinois household would pay an additional $1,125 in taxes each year, on average, under the Senate's tax-hike plan.

Senate Bill 9 would apply a 6.25 percent sales tax to laundry, dry cleaning, storage units and parking garages, among other services.

SB 9 is part of the package of bills that make up the Senate “grand bargain,” which would have hiked taxes by $7 billion.