We Gots the Biggest One

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Well congratulations to the Blagojevich administration (and its predecessor) for getting Illinois to Number One in the nation!

SPRINGFIELD — The rebounding national economy meant extra cash in the coffers of nearly every state in the union.

Nearly every state, except Illinois.

Illinois was one of three states to finish the 2005 budget year with a deficit — of $3 billion, to be exact — in its central checking account, a [Rockford] Register Star analysis found. Illinois’ deficit was the largest in the nation. Wisconsin and North Carolina are also in the red; every other state finished with a surplus.

Read the whole RRS article for the complete rundown of the state’s fiscal atrocities. And you know what, I seriously doubt things would get any better under a new administration. The state’s finances have always been Teh Shit.

I certainly don’t have all the answers but consistently keeping tax increases off the table isn’t helping anything. The state’s bills, the money used to help all of us and those in need, need to be paid and paid timely. In some respects, we are all responsible for this since we like government services but really hate paying for them. And no, “cutting waste” won’t solve the problem unless you think most state programs are “waste”.