The failures of Springfield are many, the state and local crises are real, and the time for action is now.

The two months since the election have been the Land of Lincoln’s best stretch of employment growth in the post-recession era. But the state’s sudden job-creation steam will run out without a healthy fuel of economic-reform policies.

Illinois’ jobs crisis has led to a dependency crisis.

Had Illinois managed the recession and recovery on par with the rest of the U.S., there would be an additional 300,000 Illinoisans working today, and an additional 220,000 payroll jobs.

Illinois is now down 138,200 total payroll jobs in the recession era, the second-worst recovery of any state.