Do you think the average voter knows what the prevailing wage in Illinois means to the taxpayer? Here's the way I understand it.

The prevailing wage is a list of different job titles, created by the state, along with prevailing wage amounts. Every year, all tax-supported bodies within the state must adopt the new prevailing wage to be eligible for any grants.

The amount of the prevailing wage is about 40 percent higher than the average wage. The labor portion of any project must be paid at the prevailing rate. Contractors must keep records and adjust their employees' wages for those projects.