Why Illinois budget Armageddon will spread to other states (AND THE FED. GOV.!)

``This is not the first time the ratings industry has acted as a dissembling enabler for continued out of control government spending. When S&P downgraded the U.S. federal debt in 2011, it made specific and clear statements calling on Republicans to agree to tax increases and blaming them for the problem, while only more generally mentioning the need to reform the real issues in our budget posed by the unsustainable Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs. In other words, if you think what happens in Illinois stays in Illinois, you're sadly mistaken.''