Editorial: How the pandemic unmasks Illinois’ feeble finances - Chicago Tribune"We’ll give them this much: For several decades the politicians who’ve trashed Illinois’ public finances got away with it.
- They gave public sector unions generous retirement benefits but didn’t set aside enough money to pay for their promises.
- They didn’t bother to spend within their revenues because when you throw around money you make allies.
- They borrowed enormous amounts to pay for today’s spending, then dumped the debts on tomorrow’s taxpayers.
Each Election Day, Illinoisans rewarded the very politicians who had drowned them in debt.
But come the pandemic, Americans see the politicians in what’s arguably the worst-run state, unmasked:
Once again Illinois stands exposed as the dunce that never learns to prepare for whatever crisis comes next.
- A rainy-day fund to handle emergencies? Not here.
- Balanced budgets with bills paid as they come due? Again, not here.
- A low debt load, so state and local governments won’t waste precious funds on interest payments? Nope.
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