BrianGarst.com

Everyone thank Illinois for being the “laboratory of democracy” foolish enough to demonstrate the folly of trying to use massive tax hikes to fix a spending problem.

Despite a major income tax increase, the state of Illinois is expected to end the budget year more than $8 billion in the red, according to a report set to be released Monday by a nonpartisan tax watchdog group.

…In all, the state will be $8.3 billion short on June 30 if nothing is done, according to the report. The majority of that money, roughly $5.5 billion, will come in the form of unpaid bills from companies that provide everything from meals for the elderly to toilet paper for prisoners. Another $1.2 billion is composed of Medicaid payments the state will push off until the next budget year, while the remaining $1.6 billion is owed to companies for tax returns and health insurance bills for state workers.

For years, practitioners of big government spent freely in Illinois, putting into effect their vision for large welfare government. Unable to admit the miserable failure of their experiments, they passed a massive 66% income tax hike in a foolhardy attempt to shield themselves from the repercussions of their profligacy. They have failed again.

Much of their problem stems from generous pensions, a system dominated by the undue political influence of labor unions and their corrupt leaders. Perhaps the state should consider diversifying their political brand, and finding politicians less beholden to such narrow special interests.

Illinois