“… Most of the state's lawmakers were willing to vote for the budget. And most of them were willing to tell the taxpayers they represent that it was balanced even though it wasn't. Why not lie? There was really no downside. But state officials weren't willing to allow any of that swill to be presented to investors. After all, there are consequences for misleading investors. Illinois leaders found this out in 2013 with help from a Securities and Exchange Commission fraud investigation. …”