Over the past few weeks, the U.S. government has been busy issuing “stress tests” to determine whether the nation’s largest banks are solvent. Today, the Illinois Policy Institute decided to join in by releasing it’s very own “stress test.” There’s one catch: It’s not for troubled banks. It’s for the government itself. You can check...
Joe and Kathy Ray are trying to stretch the value of their dollars in these tight times. They have four kids in grade school, and saving for college sits at the top of their priority list. As two frugal parents, they routinely shop around for the best deal–clipping coupons, bidding on new and used products...
How economically healthy is Illinois compared to its neighboring states? The American Legislative Council has updated its eye-opening annual report, Rich States/Poor States, for 2009. The report evaluates the fiscal and economic policies of each of the 50 states- and in Illinois, things aren’t looking good.
The Problem Illinois desperately needs economic reform. We have a $9 billion budget hole, families are fleeing the state, and our job and income growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, spending is skyrocketing — up approximately 39% since 1998. In the same time period, population has grown only 6.8%. We don’t have a revenue problem. We have...
There are more than two million students enrolled in Illinois’ public schools. Private providers — firms and individual contractors — play a pivotal role in helping schools to educate those children. No district can perfectly predict the future needs of their students. Nor can every district maintain a permanent staff capable of meeting the specific...
The Problem Bob and Rita Smith* are generous people. Every year, they give about $2,000 to wealthy, politically connected real estate developers doing business in their Wilson Yard neighborhood. Bob and Rita live frugally, work hard to save for retirement, and struggle to make ends meet each month—and yet, they keep on giving to the...
The Problem Imagine you’re about to have heart surgery. Would you want your doctor operating on your heart in the dark? Or without looking at your x-ray first? Without an x-ray, he wouldn’t know where to operate, the severity of your sickness or understand exactly what he needs to do in order to save your...
The Problem Imagine for a moment that your father, brother or husband had prostate cancer. That is bad enough, of course, but now imagine that they had to unnecessarily wait in long lines to get the most advanced and least invasive treatment possible, or perhaps, not receive this better treatment at all. Or imagine it...
Executive Summary Every day, the state of Illinois is in a competition with 49 other states and the rest of the world. The rewards for succeeding? More businesses, more jobs, more resources, and a better place to live for all citizens. Unfortunately, the Illinois economy is lagging behind—and unless we turn away from the government-centered...
Executive Summary Illinois has 871 school districts. Each one is supposed to efficiently provide a high-quality education to all students who enroll in its schools. It is no secret that many districts have struggled with providing a high-quality education. Others have struggled to do so efficiently. A number of reforms exist to help school districts...
What to do about 47 million uninsured nationwide and 1.4 million Illinoisans without insurance? This has become a central issue in the debate over health care. In recent years, mandates, both on individuals and businesses, have emerged as a popular solution among policymakers to address the chronic problem of the uninsured and uncompensated care. Last...
WHY HEALTH CARE COSTS SO MUCH AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT (Springfield, Ill.) Government intervention in the economy, whenever it is tried, often comes with unintended consequences that make matters worse. The arena of health care is no exception. Over recent decades, the debate over what has caused health care costs to rise so...
Critics say that the effect of suspending the Illinois Gas Tax will be minimal and would deprive state government of needed taxes to build highways and roads. They are wrong on both counts. Lowering the gas sales tax from 6.25% to 1.25% (HB6318) will make a material difference in the lives of Illinois residents in...
We’ve joined with Citizens Against Government Waste to put together the book that Springfield doesn’t want you to read, highlighting over $686 million in wasteful spending. Highlights include: $4 million for a Ford Technical Training Center in Chicago Heights $1 million for the Illinois film office in Chicago $920,000 for the Chicago Aerospace Education Initiative $550,000 for the conservation of pheasants...