by Will Compernolle Artist Tony Tasset’s three-stories-tall eyeball at State and Van Buren in Chicago, simply titled “EYE,” has gotten mixed reviews from bystanders waiting for its official unveiling on July 7th. But almost more noteworthy than a giant eyeball in the middle of the city is the fact that, according to CNN, EYE cost taxpayers...
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s new budget “fix” indicates he’s living in a fiscal fairy tale. His spending adjustment recommendations do not come remotely close to balancing the budget, and he has failed to offer clean break from the state’s perpetual fiscal mismanagement. Governor Quinn claims to make $1.4 billion in spending reductions for fiscal year...
y Amanda Griffin-Johnson Since 2000, Chicago’s city budget has increased by 11.6%, when adjusted for inflation. So what are reasons for the budget growth? According to the most recent estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau, Chicago’s population only increased by 1% between 2000 and 2008. Reasons for budget increases mentioned in the city press release for the 2010 budget...
by Kate Piercy Questions are surrounding the nearly half a million dollar salary of Bellwood’s Roy McCampbell, who says “he did the work of 10 people for Bellwood — comptroller, administrator, public safety CEO, finance director, budget director, human resources director, mayoral assistant, corporation counsel, property commission director and development corporation officer,” and thinks Bellwood...
by Kate Piercy Because of “improper spending and oversight of TIFs,” Inspector General Joe Ferguson has concluded the City of Chicago lost Chicago taxpayers “$1.2 million in funds generated by the now-defunct Central Loop tax-increment-financing district — and spent $329,000 for ineligible art work,” according to a Sun-Times report. Ferguson audited of “more than four years worth...
by Kate Piercy According to the State Journal-Register, five key employees of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) have combined to spend more than $300,000 on travel since fiscal year 2005. In addition, the agency has spent $1.2 million to $1.32 million on travel overall in each of those years. Apparently, a good portion of...
by Brian Costin Liberty Leader John Yackley has paid a large role in forming a new taxpayer watchdog organization called Cook County Coalition for Tax Relief. The Coalition is for Cook County business and residents alike, but emphasizes the effects of the Cook County property tax code and the unequal burden it places on businesses. The purpose...
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson In the Examiner last week, I outlined how Illinois’s credit rating fell as it continually failed to address the state’s dire fiscal condition. The state’s credit swap costs surpassed California’s, and now the costs have reached record highs. Bloomberg reports that the “cost of an Illinois credit-default swap has more than doubled since April 5 to a...
The Problem Illinois’s minimum wage, already high at $8.00 an hour, is set to increase by another 25 cents on July 1, 2010. This ill-timed hike in the minimum wage will hurt low-skilled workers and the small business owners who want to employ them. With each of Illinois’s neighboring states having a lower minimum wage,...
The Problem Every day, businesses from across Illinois compete in the marketplace. They work to make their products better, their costs more competitive, and they invest in employee training to boost productivity. Some companies, however, receive help from the state to foot their training costs. How? Through the Employer Training and Investment Program (ETIP). According...
According to our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, the State of Illinois paid 41 public administration interns $736,463.01 in fiscal year 2008 in combined total wages, with the highest paid intern being paid $52,914. The average public administration intern was given an annual salary of $17,962.51. According to the Illinois Central Management Services website, public administration interns “function in an...
by Brian Costin Private sector employment fell during the 2000’s and was 3 percent lower in 2010 than it was in 2000. Public sector had no such difficulties. This graph originally posted on the Cato @ Liberty blog shows how public sector employees have show strong growth over the last decade, especially on the state & local level....
Charter school lotteries are appearing in more movies lately. The scenes are made for the medium, parents hoping that blind luck will give them a chance at a better school. Movies such as The Lottery, Waiting for Superman, and The Cartel will be spreading to screens across Illinois. So, coincidentally, are charter school lotteries themselves....
by Kristina Rasmussen You read last week about Illinois’s dubious race to the bottom with California, Iraq, and Iceland for the status of “riskiest borrower.” Have we always been such a fiscal basket case? No. Senate Republican staff took a closer look at our state’s history of rating downgrades. It turns out that Illinois has only been downgraded...