Illinois lawmakers need a new approach to budget-making – one that takes into account the state’s financial mess, shows respect for taxpayers, and prioritizes spending to meet the needs of the poorest and most disadvantaged residents.
The communities in the Quad Cities are nearly identical, but Illinoisans are fleeing to Iowa’s side from the Land of Lincoln’s side, showing just how severe Illinois’ out-migration crisis is.
Local governments create TIF districts to encourage development in “blighted” areas; but TIFs often don’t deliver on promised economic benefits, while they do divert tax dollars from other uses and create opaque slush funds for the mayor to reward insider developers.
AFSCME members have spent the last few weeks voting on whether to authorize what could be the first-ever state worker strike in Illinois history. Even if members vote to authorize a strike, it doesn’t mean a strike is imminent – nor does it mean that the majority of state workers want to strike.
The average Illinois AFSCME worker receives over $100,000 a year in total compensation. But that isn’t enough for AFSCME leadership – it is demanding even more. And its demands should offend Illinois taxpayers footing the bill.
Lisa Madigan lost the first round in her quest to stop state worker pay during Illinois’ budget impasse. But that doesn’t mean the matter is settled. The attorney general could take this issue all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court.
The governor should reject tax hikes and push for the structural spending reforms Illinois needs to fix its fiscal crisis and improve its economy.
Illinois’ combined state and average local sales tax rate is the highest in the Midwest.
The Land of Lincoln lost almost 84,000 residents and over $6.5 billion in taxable income to the seven states without an income tax while Illinois’ 2011 income tax hike was in effect.
Like much of the rust belt, Newton, Ill. is facing difficult economic challenges. But the community continuously sticks together.
Despite taxing both sales and income, Illinois has higher property taxes than every single state that does not charge an income tax.