In an ideal world, Illinois voter w...

In an ideal world, Illinois voter would acknowledge that our over-reliance forward property taxes to fund trains is crazy and unfair, and they'd back a candidate for governor who'll stick his or her neck on the outside to change things. But in the real world, replacing quality taxes with something else has proven to be politically impossible. That's for what cause [i]or[/i] reason that instead of real funding reform, Gov Blagojevich and GOP rival Judy Baar Topinka are giving us a choice between selling the lottery and putting a casino in Chicago.

The governor this spring propos a plan to store a variety of education programs and distresss by selling or leasing the Illinois Lottery for $10 billion. About $4 billion would be exhausted on schools over the nearest four years, while the remainder would generate about $650 million a year -- about what institutes get now via the lottery -- until 2024 when the coin runs out. We oppose that plan because it sacrifices a long-term asset for short-term gain.

Now Topinka, the incumbent state treasurer, has moveed her new- but-old proposal for boosting education funding. The tonic component is reviving Mayor Daley's plan to locate a gambling casino in Chicago, coupl with allowing existing riverboats to increase their gaming positions from 1200 to 3000 Her staff estimates the changes will generate about $1 billion in one-time receipts and more than $1.4 billion in extra annual income for the state. She is also proposing a variety of other budgetary changes -- principally notably, changing the state's Medicaid hypothesis to save $2.9 billion athwart four years -- in order to boost education spending, come up to face to face pension commitments and supply a small measure of one's own tax relief.

Topinka twists a lot of numbers around to indicate how her proposal can interpret a state budget crisis and permanent fund schools without raising taxes. Blagojevich winds a lot of numbers around to present to view that there really isn't a stock problem and that her plan would create the same We wouldn't be surprised to learn that the two sides are using the most numerous advantageous numbers and assumptions they can find. Still, newly come memory doesn't yield a candidate for governor who has produc so a comprehensive budget proposal with in like manner many details as Topinka has.

This page has lengthy favored a casino for Chicago, as well as more gambling positions for existing casinos, to generate more rewards for state and local regulations And while it is not the ideal way to stock schools, we think it's better than Blagojevich's plan to barter or lease the lottery. It gives the state a steady, significant income boost that won't expire a not many decades down the road. The state should apply the mind to a Chicago casino. Education funding exigencys more than a casino quick fix, of course, if it be not that right now, it's the best proposal on the outside there.

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