An Analysis of the State’s Fiscal Crisis and Actionable Recommendations for Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly Please visit the Illinois Fiscal Rehabilitation Plan web page for a comprehensive look at the report. This report describes the basis of the State of Illinois’ fiscal crisis and presents the Civic Federation’s plan for rehabilitating the State’s finances. The plan…
Proposes Comprehensive Package to Address State Budget Crisis Please visit the Illinois Fiscal Rehabilitation Plan web page for a comprehensive look at the report. CHICAGO – The Civic Federation, a 116 year-old government research organization, released today its plan to salvage the State of Illinois’ finances. “A Fiscal Rehabilitation Plan for the State of Illinois” calls for a comprehensive…
The State’s fiscal crisis is causing substantial difficulties for residents, state workers, state service providers and other governments. Budget cuts in early FY2010, which began July 1, led to reductions in state-funded services for some of Illinois’ lowest income citizens. Now, with the economy still mired in recession, the State is increasingly hard-pressed to pay its bills. Illinois’ backlog…
This article considers the possible privatization of the Illinois tollway system as a way of increasing funds for capital investment across the State. The Civic Federation is quoted saying that leasing an asset can bring in much-needed funds; however, without adequate public scrutiny, a deal could turn problematic.
This news segment details how the two Democratic candidates for Illinois governor propose to balance the State budget through major changes to the tax structure. In the segment, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall says that the Federation thinks Illinois should reduce pensions for new employees and limit spending to help balance its budget.
This report examines the $54.3 billion FY2010 operating budget for the State of Illinois that was approved by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Pat Quinn on July 15, 2009. The report compares this enacted budget with both the FY2010 budget recommended by Governor Quinn in March of 2009 and the estimated year-end budget for FY2009. It is designed to provide Illinois residents with a…
(CHICAGO) The Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability released an independent examination of the enacted FY2010 State of Illinois budget today. The first-of-its-kind report is designed to provide Illinois residents with a resource to understand the spending and revenue trends that have led to the current fiscal crisis. The enacted budget analysis shows that the State…
This front-page article on the State of Illinois’ fiscal crisis features commentary by the Civic Federation. The Federation is quoted saying that the State is on the edge of insolvency due to a chronic structural deficit and enormous unfunded pension liabilities.
This article discusses how local bans on video gambling across the State of Illinois might affect funding for the State's $31 billion in capital spending. The Civic Federation is quoted saying it had warned the General Assembly that gambling is an unreliable source of revenue and notes that the program's revenue assumptions should be reexamined.
Civic Federation President Laurence Msall was interviewed for this news segment about Illinois' severe budget troubles on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" program. He says that Illinois' fiscal issues do not stem from the current economic recession, but rather the state's history of spending more than its available revenue and a tendency to defer its pension responsibilities.
