•March 1, 2017•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

Gov. Rauner recently released his third budget, and it’s just as phony as his previous two efforts as well as those of his Democratic predecessors Blagojevich and Quinn.

To summarize, Illinois continues to spend about $7 billion a year more than it takes in, on a general funds budget of $32 billion in revenue. Everyone from New York bond ratings agencies to scribblers out here like me say this cannot continue, but it does.

The damage is mostly beneath the surface, yet devastating.

Our high school graduates flee the state in droves for college across our borders, because of uncertainty over financial aid and the future of our colleges.

Neighboring states gleefully offer our students “scholarships” that make going to Iowa City or Madison less expensive than in Illinois. Their universities, hurting for students, can do this because the marginal cost to them of an additional student is less than what they charge.

Once our students leave, they are less likely to return.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.