Leaders take state from bad to worse

Since a statewide smoking ban began Jan. 1, revenue at the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin has dropped nearly 20 percent while revenue has dropped about 17 percent at state riverboat casinos.

Pushing gamblers who smoke to casinos elsewhere and reducing tobacco sales will cost state and local governments millions of dollars. Yet government spending continues to climb.

It's no wonder Illinois ranks 48th, 44th and 47th among the states in domestic population growth, per capita personal income growth and employment growth, respectively, according to "Rich States, Poor States," a recently published book by economists Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore.

These dismal rankings -- and an overall state competitiveness ranking of 42 out of 50 -- were issued by Laffer and Moore before the recent huge tax increases for the Regional Transportation Authority, city of Chicago and Cook County.

Apparently, the people who run Illinois, from the governor on down to county and city officials, aim to take this state from bad to worse.

Steve Stanek

McHenry