by Amanda Griffin-Johnson If you’ve been experiencing changes to the terms of your bank accounts or credit cards, then you can thank (or blame) new financial regulations. While the new regulations have been touted as “consumer protection,” the unintended consequences of the legislation have made some consumers worse off. Theodore Frank of the Manhattan Institute...
by Collin Hitt Ohio created a school voucher program nearly a decade ago. It gives choice to students attending failing schools, not unlike a policy proposed for Chicago by state Sen. James Meeks. Research has shown that, while still in its infancy, the program was already causing improvement in public schools faced with newfound competition for students. In time,...
by Collin Hitt This week’s NYT Magazine has nearly a dozen stories on technology and education. Much of it focuses on online learning technology. But one piece told the story of a classroom teacher who has equipped every one of his students with a computerized ink pen, manufactured by LiveScribe. The pen electronically records every...
by Kristina Rasmussen Republicans in Congress unveiled their “Pledge to America,” which seeks to limit taxes and spending, among other things. You can read the full text below. How about a Pledge to Illinois? Some great policy ideas to consider: A budget balanced without a tax hike. A Constitutional cap to limit spending growth. An overhaul of job-killing regulations. A 3/5 super-majority requirement for...
by Kristina Rasmussen Here’s Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno’s take on the AFSCME deal: “This is wrong on so many counts that it is hard to know where to begin. At a minimum, there is the appearance that the Governor traded a favorable contract for the union endorsement. It was clearly wrong to take the state’s lead...
Introduction Today, Illinois stands at a crossroads. Our state faces mounting debt and troublesome unemployment. Significant budget challenges have been caused and are now intensified by destructive overspending habits and a job-killing regulatory approach. In the midst of this crisis, Illinois citizens and their leaders must turn the state’s affairs around and put Illinois back...
by Kate Piercy Interesting poll results from Rasmussen Reports: A plurality of Americans (43%) believe that government programs increase poverty in America. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of the nation’s adults believe that those programs decrease poverty. Twenty-three percent (23%) say they have no impact. There is a fundamental difference...
by Wesley Fox In the last few years, the federal government and many state governments have used a similar approach to dealing with the economic downturn: higher taxes and more government spending. Governor Quinn’s proposed tax hikes and his $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now capital spending program are a perfect example. Meanwhile, Chicago Park District...
by Ashley Muchow If you missed the Auditor General’s release last week, you’ll be surprised to see the findings are far from negligible. Based on all the grading standards I accepted as a student, it’s fair to say most teachers would have failed the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget on their most recent state audit. The...
by John Tillman The worst possible news for President Obama is that the National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday that the downturn ended in June of 2009. Why a disaster for the president? Simple: As of June 2009, only $201.3 billion, or 25.6 percent of the total stimulus bill, had been awarded (not necessarily spent, as this...
by Kristina Rasmussen You may have heard that the Institute is expecting somewhat of a baby boom in coming months. Clearly we didn’t get the “record low birthrate” memo. So it is with sadness that we note Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) — a known friend of the taxpayer and physician — has stopped delivering babies because of liability costs....
by Collin Hitt Charter schools in Chicago turned in 6 of the top 10 scores on the ACT last year, according to the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. This is the second year in a row, at least, where charter schools have dominated the top ten for non-selective high schools in the city. The press...
The Problem Witnessing explosions from the latest Transformers movie on Michigan Avenue and catching glimpses of movie stars like Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie may provide an exciting novelty for Illinois residents. But is it worth the price? Illinois state government offers film production projects generous tax incentives to film within its borders, but the...
by Ashley Muchow Ah, finally. The payment the state owed me finally showed up at my doorstep. But, wait. What is this? 3 cents! That’s it? No joke. Our state government has been sending out interest payments via check for overdue vendor remittances that, in some cases, amount to less than the postage it takes...