Temporary tax just an illusion in Illinois  February 24, 2013 
You knew it was coming, right? You knew that when Illinois Gov.
Pat Quinn and lawmakers swore up and down two years ago that a
67 percent state income tax hike was only temporary, they didn't
mean it.  You knew that once a tax increase is enacted, it
seldom goes away.  And so it's no surprise that Democratic Rep.
Lou Lang has introduced a pension fix bill that would make the
temporary tax permanent. But that makes it no less galling.
Illinois residents have for years paid taxes with the
expectation that the money would pay for employees' pensions,
but lawmakers used it for other things. This is like giving
someone money to pay the mortgage, and he's back asking for more
because he spent the money on other things.  Even if lawmakers
make the tax increase permanent, we have doubts it will fix the
problem. Despite the temporary tax, Illinois' fiscal condition
has barely improved. The state has $9 billion in overdue bills
right now. Lang's bill woul