Illinoisans suffer, politicians get paid
Illinoisans suffer, politicians get paid
Illinois lawmakers earn base salaries of nearly $68,000 for what is essentially part-time work.
Munger: Illinois’ unpaid bills projected to hit $10 billion by year’s end
Munger: Illinois’ unpaid bills projected to hit $10 billion by year’s end
The Illinois comptroller warns Illinois' backlog of unpaid bills will reach $10 billion by December.
Madison County, Ill., to voters: Want to reduce your property taxes?
Madison County, Ill., to voters: Want to reduce your property taxes?
A referendum allowing Madison County taxpayers to decide if they want to limit their tax burden is a choice all Illinoisans should have.
Chicago’s total debt more than triples to over $24B in 2015
Chicago’s total debt more than triples to over $24B in 2015
A new Chicago financial report shows the city’s total unfunded liabilities have jumped by over $17 billion, growing to nearly $24 billion in 2015 from $6.5 billion in 2014.
Meet the politicians who stand to get rich off of Chicago’s massive property-tax hike
Meet the politicians who stand to get rich off of Chicago’s massive property-tax hike
More scrutiny from property owners means more money in the pockets of certain members of Illinois’ political elite, including House Speaker Mike Madigan.
How to stop Chicago politicians from continuing to hike property taxes
How to stop Chicago politicians from continuing to hike property taxes
A taxpayer bill of rights would put checks on politicians eager to hike taxes in one of the nation’s most over-taxed cities.
Post-mortem: What’s in Illinois’ stopgap budget?
Post-mortem: What’s in Illinois’ stopgap budget?
The stopgap budget passed by the General Assembly provides six months worth of funding for government services such as road construction, as well as a full K-12 education budget for the 2016-2017 school year, property-tax-raising authority for Chicago, and more state funding of pensions for Chicago Public Schools teachers.
Gov. Bruce Rauner signs stopgap budget
Gov. Bruce Rauner signs stopgap budget
The stopgap budget compromise reached between the General Assembly and Gov. Bruce Rauner will fund government operations for the next six months and ensure that schools open on time in the fall.
Illinoisans revolt against nation’s highest property taxes
Illinoisans revolt against nation’s highest property taxes
Illinoisans face the highest median property-tax rate in the nation.
5 reasons why Illinois politicians should reject a Chicago Public Schools bailout
5 reasons why Illinois politicians should reject a Chicago Public Schools bailout
Until CPS passes necessary spending and pension reforms, giving any additional money to the system will only reward officials’ mismanagement and reckless behavior.
Illinois gets $5.24 million windfall as motorists rack up fees for late vehicle registration
Illinois gets $5.24 million windfall as motorists rack up fees for late vehicle registration
Budget gridlock in Springfield caused the Illinois secretary of state’s office to suspend mailing vehicle-registration-renewal reminders in October 2015; as a result, the state took in $5.24 million more in fees for late license-plate renewal between January and June 21, 2016, than it did during the same period in 2015.
Illinois has a spending problem, not a revenue problem
Illinois has a spending problem, not a revenue problem
Tax-hike proponents claim there’s no way to fix Illinois’ chronic budget problems without more money. They want Illinoisans to believe the state’s tax revenues simply aren’t enough to cover the cost of government. But tax revenues aren’t the real problem. Illinois’ perennial budget crises stem from the state’s persistent overspending and misplaced spending priorities. The...
Brexit and Chicago’s potential bankruptcy
Brexit and Chicago’s potential bankruptcy
Pension funds aren’t immune to the volatility of the stock market. Even before Brexit, Moody’s warned that low investment returns are already putting Chicago’s pension funds at risk. A major stock market correction or another recession just might put Chicago and CPS over the edge if their already-underfunded pension systems collapse.
Pensions over people
Pensions over people
The pension problem was created and has been fueled by weak politicians – men and women who decided their next elections were more important than the next generation.