Upscale governors

It looks like New York's Mario Cuomo, a Democrat, gets the nation's best salary for governors. Technically, his paycheck comes to $130,000 per year, thanks to a $30,000 raise granted by the New York legislature. But Cuomo says that's too much and insists on scrimping along on his original salary of $100,000. So he's really No. 2 in take-home pay, beat out by Republican Gov. James G. Martin of North Carolina, who makes $105,000 a year and keeps it. Florida Republican Bob Martinez, getting by on $94,646, is No. 3. Our own Big Jim comes in fourth with an annual salary of $93,266 — about what you need these days to pay ComEd, keep up on the mortgage and own a decent pair of sunglasses.
Source: Governing. November 1987.

Minimum-wage governors

Democrat Bill Clinton of Arkansas should join AFSCME. He's making only $35,000 a year.

Other rather cheap states as far as their governors are concerned include: Montana ($50,452); Idaho ($55,000); South Dakota ($57,325) and Nebraska ($58,000).
Source: Ibid.

Downscale prisons

As of August 1, 1987, the number of inmates in the Illinois correctional system was 20,038 and the rated capacity was 19,562.

Fifty percent of the inmates in Illinois correctional facilities are double-celled.

The security staff to inmate ratio is .283 to 1 — the lowest since 1983.

Since August 1986 the population in maximum security prisons has been reduced by only 93 inmates.
Source: Department of Corrections, Perspectives. October 1987.

Interstate sales taxes

Illinois is losing about $90 million a year when residents buy goods out of state either directly or through catalogs and don't pay sales or use taxes — though they're supposed to. These absentminded and/or avaricious shoppers are saving a bundle on big-ticket items like medical, dental and office equipment, computers, furniture, boats, furs and jewelry.

In July 1986 the state signed an agreement with Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio to mutually improve their tax collecting capabilities. More than 1,200 business are cooperating, and the program has been bringing in an estimated $100 million a year to Illinois. Last November Illinois signed a similar agreement with Iowa and almost immediately got a $20,000 check to cover the sales tax on a luxury motorboat.

Under the agreements, sales and use taxes are collected by participating businesses. The states also send bills directly to citizens identified through information exchanges as having made over-the-border purchases of pc's, mink coats, chaise lounges, high speed dental drills and other goodies.
Source: Illinois Department of Revenue.

General funds

The general funds end-of-month balance in December was $77.125 million. The average daily available balance was $53,015 million.
Source: Office of the Comptroller.

Unemployment rates

The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in December, down 0.1 from November. The Illinois seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped to 7.5 percent from 6.8 percent in November.

The state's December work force consisted of 5.701 million people, with 5.272 million employed and 429,000 looking for work. Employment dropped by 50,000 and unemployment rose by 38,000. Construction declined, and seasonal retail hiring did not satisfy the demand for jobs.

Illinois' 1987 work force was the largest ever. An average of 5.715 million people were either working or job hunting. Employment also hit a record high, and joblessness was the lowest in eight years.

Final October unemployment rates in the state's metro areas were:

Aurora-Elgin: 4.5 percent.
Bloomington-Normal: 3.9 percent.
Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul, 3.7 percent.
Chicago, 5.9 percent.
Davenport, Rock Island, Moline (Illinois sector), 7.6 percent.
Decatur, 9.1 percent.
Joliet, 6.1 percent.
Kankakee, 8.2 percent.
Lake County, 3.7 percent.
Peoria, 6.5 percent.
Rockford, 8.1 percent.
Springfield, 4.7 percent.
St. Louis (Illinois sector), 7.5 percent.

Source: Department of Employment Security.

Margaret S. Knoepfle

February 1988 | Illinois Issues | 19