Inflation-adjusted spending on benefits in Illinois, which include pensions and health-care costs, grew from $4.1 billion in 2002 to $11.6 billion in 2020. Spending on salaries increased from $15 billion to $16.2 billion during this time.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.