Pension costs alone now consume a quarter of the Illinois state budget.

Income and sales taxes account for nearly two-thirds of state revenue.

The time is ripe to offer private insurance options to needy Illinoisans through premium-assistance programs and Medicaid savings accounts.

Tax-hike proponents claim there’s no way to fix Illinois’ chronic budget problems without more money. They want Illinoisans to believe the state’s tax revenues simply aren’t enough to cover the cost of government. But tax revenues aren’t the real problem. Illinois’ perennial budget crises stem from the state’s persistent overspending and misplaced spending priorities. The...

The pension problem was created and has been fueled by weak politicians – men and women who decided their next elections were more important than the next generation.