by Amanda Griffin-Johnson As Illinois state legislators head back to Springfield for the veto session next week, pension reform is the hot topic on everyone’s mind. The time for reform is now, but what solutions are available to legislators? The right way: Taking the difficult, but necessary steps towards real pension reform that ensures there will be money...
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Earlier today, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act is not going to be implemented. The controversial long-term care program is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and has been under scrutiny since before the law was enacted....
Public employee unions balked at pension reform when it was introduced this spring because they claim government workers already have “paid their fair share” by kicking in “8 percent, 9 percent or more from each paycheck” to their retirement funds. But when it comes to public school teachers in Illinois, paying their own way to...
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Yesterday, Chicago’s new mayor, Rahm Emanuel, released his first budget proposal. In his prepared budget address, he acknowledged that Chicago’s history of unbalanced budgets could not continue, and he recognized that “What we cannot do, however, is to protect the status quo by asking more of Chicago’s taxpayers. Raising taxes will drive more people...
by Kristina Rasmussen October 15 — this Saturday — is the last day of Illinois’s amnesty program for consumers to pay use tax for Internet purchases where sales tax was not collected. From an oldState Journal-Register article: The state will offer a sales tax amnesty from Jan. 1 through Oct. 15. Under legislation passed last year and...
by Kristina Rasmussen Illinois is still broke. Teachers, listen up. It is time for the truth.
by Kristina Rasmussen The state is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on renovating the capitol building in Springfield. That money is being spent even as Illinois state government faces billions in past-due bills. As one of my colleagues noted, it’s like putting up new curtains when your house is on fire. Here’s a run down...
by Kristina Rasmussen If Illinois Members of Congress had their way, how much would government spending increase or decrease? The National Taxpayers Union Foundation keeps a running tally of each Congressman’s net spending agendas as measured by their bill co-sponsorships. Last week I asked them to share preliminary data on the spending agendas of members of the Illinois...
by Mark Cavers Last week, the Illinois Policy Institute partnered with the Manhattan Institute to release a poll measuring the public’s mood on a wide range of issues including: Pensions, the state’s budget, the economy, taxes, unions, and collective bargaining. According to our poll, 63% of people still oppose the tax hikes that were passed in January. Even more...
by Kristina Rasmussen Warren Buffett recently took to the opinion pages of the New York Times to decry America’s unfair tax system. According to his calculations, his effective tax rate is around 17 percent while his the people in his office pay effective rates averaging 36 percent. His solution? Washington should hike his taxes. And yours, while they’re...
by Kristina Rasmussen Two headlines caught my attention this morning. Headline #1: Wood County [Wisconsin] budget starts with surplus For the first time in 10 years, Wood County will enter the budget process with a surplus. The state’s budget repair bill enacted this year requires public employee contributions of 5.8 percent to retirement plans. … Looks like...
by Kristina Rasmussen The next time you make a major purchase online, keep your eye on the tax bill. Thanks to a little-known aspect of Illinois’s tax code, shipping charges may be subject to sales taxes. That’s right, you could be getting taxed on shipping. Today’s Chicago Tribune highlights how sales taxes must be applied on shipping fees above...
by Kristina Rasmussen Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill making it easier for local school districts to reap a windfall from higher local sales taxes. According to Chris Wetterich over at the State Journal-Register, Quinn’s action“eliminates the ability of county boards to block or reduce school construction sales tax levies.” That’s a shame, because as I experienced...
by Emily Dietrich In April, Americans celebrated Tax Freedom Day – the day of the year on which workers’ have earned enough money to pay all their annual taxes at the federal, state and local level. Liberating, right? Not so fast. When total government spending and costly regulations are factored into the government’s price tag,...