* The folks at the Illinois Policy Institute have combed the state budget and have found “$54.2 million in wasteful spending.” They define “waste” as “spending that does not serve a legitimate purpose of government.”

Why is that encouraging news? Because the state budget is $38.5 billion. So, according to the Institute, waste accounts for just 0.14 percent of state spending. Every penny counts, but that’s a pretty darned good ratio, if you ask me.

* Predictably, that’s not how the Institute sees things…

A new report highlights waste and pork in Illinois’ budget and its author says it just highlights the slap in the face to Illinois taxpayers.

* The report claims that “$3.6 million on the development of the World Shooting Recreational Complex in Sparta, in addition to $2.6 million on operating costs” is “wasteful.” Not everyone agrees…

State Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, said the report is misleading. “Any report that does not consider all of the economic benefits the shooting complex brings to the southern Illinois region is an incomplete analysis,” Schimpf said. “This report omits any such assessment. At best, it’s shortsighted; at worst, it’s misleading.”

One person’s wasteful spending is another person’s vital economic development tool.

The Institute also claims that all Illinois Arts Council spending is wasteful.

…Adding… This came in Wednesday night and I didn’t see it until Thursday morning…