by Diane Benjamin
Weeks ago I heard from a source INSIDE the Illinois Lottery that Illinois has been skimming money to pay bills. Yesterday Crain’s Business reported that an audit found $200 Million in reporting errors. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130701/BLOGS02/130709979
Associated Press reported the same story. Reporting errors? $200,000,000? Crain’s blames a “transition to being an independent agency”. Illinois is fundamentally bankrupt, the papers just haven’t been filed. Is it a stretch to assume under-reporting of receipts is happening to re-direct some money.
I mentioned what I heard to Dan Brady several weeks ago when we crossed paths. His only comment was “I don’t know anything about it”. Thanks Dan.
Update:
My source is now telling me the money didn’t go to the state – it got diverted to who the Lottery officials want to be the next governor. More Illinois corruption that shouldn’t shock anyone.
My brother from Alabama and his wife were visiting here just a couple months ago and we were talking about our Illinois taxes and the state of our economy compared to Alabama. He told me that their state is not in the red but doing much better then our state of Illinois. Even though we here in Illinois have state regulated gambling with our Lottery, lotto’s and the many other different ones. We have state regulated gambling machines in many of our bars. We were told by our state government leaders that this was all created for us Illinoisans to help pay for our road repairs and our education system. Alabama has “NO” gambling in their state yet they are much better off then Illinois financially. We have real estate tax here in Illinois that runs between 6 to 9% depending on the county yet Alabama has no property taxes for it’s citizens. Our state tax on things we buy is over 7% and Alabama’s is at 3%. Now isn’t it odd that Illinois is in such a sorry economical state when they scam their citizens this much yet Alabama is doing so well economically and they are not oppressing their people! The answer is simple and it does not take a genius to see it, Illinois is a very corrupt state which is ruined by Chicago politicians and their gangster government!