Items listed under "State Documents" have been received by the Documents Unit. Illinois State Library, Springfield, and are usually available from public libraries in the state through interlibrary loan. Issuing agencies may have copies available. For items listed under "Other Reports," write to the publisher as noted.

State Documents

• Preliminary Report of the Illinois Task Force on School Finance, Illinois State Board of Education, 100 N. First, Springfield 62777-0001 (August 1992), 42pp.

Once again attention in this state is focused on the public schools: How can we make them better and how can we pay for what we decide to do? The Task Force on School Finance, created by the 86th General Assembly and continued by the 87th, concentrated its efforts on the latter issue. Since this is a preliminary report, no specific recommendations have been offered; instead, the report contains "recommendations adopted with consensus" as well as "recommendations adopted without consensus" and "alternatives for discussion." Covered in these are such issues as regional cost adjustment, property tax base, tax structure, general state aid formula and the tax rate to be used for the formula.

• Illinois' Memory of the Civil War, a video developed by M. Cody Wright, State Archives, Springfield 62756.

This video traces the state's role in the Civil War through photographs from the Illinois Historical Library as well as letters and wartime records. In addition to being inherently interesting, the presentation offers insights into the vast amount of fascinating information available in the State Archives. It is available on loan through local public libraries or from the Communications Department of the Office of the Secretary of State (217/785-8234).

Other Reports

• Chicagoland — A Fiscal Perspective, 1981-1990, The Civic Federation, 203 N. Wabash, Suite 918, Chicago 60601 (July 1992), 93pp.; $15.

As in past years, this annual publication offers a wealth of information — in accessible form — to anyone concerned about the fiscal health of local government units in Cook County. The first section, on revenues and expenditures, has subsections on the property tax, other revenue sources and expenditures in the city and the county, for education and for special districts. The second section, on long-term liability, provides information on long-term debt and public pension liability.

Anna J. Merritt

34/December 1992/Illinois Issues