Apple’s new iPhone launch on Sept. 9 may be a celebration for tech consumers, but it also makes the Illinois taxman smile. Illinois already had the nation’s highest tax rate on cell phone plans before it bumped up even more July 1.

The second installment of Cook County property taxes should have been paid Aug. 1. The county can’t get the calculations completed, so the bills are on hold.

Illinois' high property taxes hurt the economy, particularly in communities already struggling. When government overtaxes, residents and businesses flee – leaving those remaining with a bigger tax bill.

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport has been a drain on taxpayers since it opened in 1995, requiring money from other county funds to keep it open. That total jumped last year to $14.83 million, bringing total subsidies since 2002 to $160 million.