by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Since 2000, Chicago’s city budget has increased 11% (adjusted for inflation). Spending  reforms are needed to ensure the long-term health of city finances, but it appears that Mayor Daley would rather continue depleting the city’s reserves. Failing to make tough spending cuts today will only make the situation worse down the road. The Chicago Tribune reports: The...

by Collin Hitt A new brief by the red-hot Civic Federation looks at the state budget in FY2011: “Total spending and transfers out increased by $543 million, or 1.6%, from $33.0 billion in FY2009 to $33.5 billion in FY2011.” Yes, programmatic spending is down. But pension payments are way up, 67 percent. Government in Illinois isn’t getting smaller yet...

by Heather Wilhelm It sure is getting expensive to be broke these days, and Illinois is learning the hard way, according to the Civic Federation’s latest study.  The Chicago Sun-Times reports: The state’s miserable bond rating has driven up borrowing costs for state government by more than $500 million since last year, a government watchdog...