SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Illinois keeps falling farther behind on
its debt.
As WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports, officially, the
state has a backlog of more than $4.25 billion in unpaid bills.
But Illinois State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka says when one
factors in other bills, the figure is closer to around $8.5 billion.
Those
other outstanding bills include tax refunds, employee health insurance, and
bills that have not yet reached her desk.
Topinka says this is extremely disappointing, since a year ago,
the state sharply increased income taxes (by 67 percent) and corporate taxes.
“After the largest tax hike in our history, the state continues
to be in this precarious fiscal position with persistent payment delays, and
frankly, the situation is unlikely to significantly improve in the near term,” she said.
Some state officials say the solution is more borrowing to pay
the bills, but Topinka says the solution is to cut spending.