I'm not sure how many people still believe the state lottery pays for our schools, but according to the Daily Herald's Springfield bureau, it's one of the top five myths politicians in Illinois like to tell.
The others:
- Gas taxes pay for road construction and repair. "Truer than the lottery tale," the DH says, but still not exactly true.
- The tollways were supposed to be freeways. Sort of - once the debt on them is paid off. And that means never.
- The state budget must be balanced. Lawmakers must pass a plan to balance the budget, but don't have to balance the budget in reality, and in fact the state carries debt over from year to year to year.
- There were supposed to be limits on how much you could lose on riverboat casinos. This was discussed in the original debate over casino legislation, but somehow a provision to do just that - inconceivable to begin with - disappeared from the final bill.
"Illinois politics and government aren't exactly known for their sterling reputations and commitment to honesty," the DH's Nicole Milstead writes.
