•July 8, 2015•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest
Columnist

We are in the lull before the storm in Springfield, as politicos watch intently—and rather helplessly—as the longstanding alpha male (Speaker Mike Madigan) is challenged for dominance of the pride by newcomer Gov. Bruce Rauner.
When the tussle is over, be assured that state taxes will have gone back up toward recent levels. The big question is whether the governor will achieve much or any of his business-friendly “turnaround agenda.”
Meanwhile, Chicago’s major local governments are struggling with fiscal messes that may be even worse than those in Springfield.
The problems facing Chicago, its public schools and the surrounding county of Cook mirror those of the state of Illinois—inexcusable myopia by careerist elected officials in putting off today’s budget problems until tomorrow, which has arrived.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.