Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Fun with numbers

Posted in:

Illinois

* From the Tribune…

Buried more than 400 pages into the 524-page gambling expansion bill that would bring a casino to Chicago are directions for splitting some of the state’s take to create new ways to pay for the pork-barrel projects politicians covet.

Money from the new casinos and slot machines at horse racing tracks would be steered to a new “depressed communities economic development fund,” a “Latino community economic development fund,” grants to the State Fairgrounds and county fairs, funding for equine research, soil and water conservation, cooperative extension services and an annual grant to the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Other provisions in the bill allow several suburbs to split the local share of the new gambling take, guaranteeing that nearby cities and villages will collect cash even if they aren’t the coveted winners of a new casino or have a horse track within their borders.

All told, some legislative estimates show about $250 million in annual revenues will be diverted from the state in what’s shaping up to be a conga line of earmarks. At once, the promise of spreading a new influx of money to interest groups is both a powerful tool to win more votes for gambling expansion and a new way to dispense pork projects after state tax dollars dried up significantly because of Illinois’ dire budget problems.

Actually, $250 million won’t be “diverted from the state.” The vast majority of that cash, $210 million, is for local communities which host the new casinos and racinos, and that money is further divvied up for regional revenue sharing. That’s pretty standard stuff.

* Related…

* Gaming bill undergoes changes: Also Sunday, the House approved a bill to return advance deposit wagering to the state. Illinois had a law on the books that provided for advance deposit wagering, but it expired before lawmakers renewed it. Under advance deposit wagering, bettors can wager on horse races online using money from special accounts they have established.

* Illinois House Re-Authorizes Online Horse Betting: A few lawmakers worried that the horsemen are being coerced — they are only receiving a fraction of the $109 million in the horse-racing fund. But Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, says that is not the case.

* Deadbeat Illinois: State funding to health departments improves

* Some Illinois jobless face benefit cuts: Thousands of out-of-work Illinoisans will see a nearly 17 percent cut in their jobless benefits beginning in early June. The cuts are the latest fallout from automatic federal budget cuts that went into effect earlier this year.

* Cross: Medicaid not getting the scrutiny it needs

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 27, 13 @ 10:58 am

Comments

The Tribune story makes me want to ask if any of the “Money from the new casinos and slot machines at horse racing tracks would be steered to”
1) paying down any of the billions of unpaid bills of the state?
2) helping to fund any of the $100B in unfunded pension liabilities?

Comment by Small Town Taxpayer Monday, May 27, 13 @ 11:29 am
Little new The special funds have been there since Hollywood got his.
Guess the Tribbies not fronting for Mr. D. anymore

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, May 27, 13 @ 12:33 pm
Folks who support this bill should be required to watch “The Producers”. Good educational TV, that.

Comment by dupage dan Monday, May 27, 13 @ 2:48 pm
The upfront fees for the new licenses, estimated at $1.2 billion, are currently slated for old bills.

Comment by King Louis XVI Monday, May 27, 13 @ 3:04 pm