Sunday, July 04, 2010

Payback Time - Budget in the Red, Illinois Has Stopped Paying Bills - NYTimes.com

Payback Time - Budget in the Red, Illinois Has Stopped Paying Bills - NYTimes.com

For the last few years, California stood more or less unchallenged as a symbol of the fiscal collapse of states during the recession. Now Illinois has shouldered to the fore, as its dysfunctional political class refuses to pay the state’s bills and refuses to take the painful steps — cuts and tax increases — to close a deficit of at least $12 billion, equal to nearly half the state’s budget.

Then there is the spectacularly mismanaged pension system, which is at least 50 percent underfunded and, analysts warn, could push Illinois into insolvency if the economy fails to pick up.

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And I sincerely believe that the Illinois "dysfunctional political class" will not do anything to pull the state out of its death spiral.

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