Warning shots fired, Chicago pays $200M penalty for bad reputation in bond issue
Warning shots fired, Chicago pays $200M penalty for bad reputation in bond issue
The most recent round of city borrowing is a sign of things to come.
Madigan budget laced with wasteful spending
Madigan budget laced with wasteful spending
The broken state budget proposed by House Speaker Mike Madigan includes spending on wine production, mosquito abatement and a student newspaper.
Voice support for property-tax freeze
Voice support for property-tax freeze
SB 1046 would allow taxpayers to take back control over skyrocketing property taxes.
Illinois group spends $700K in tax dollars to lobby for higher taxes
Illinois group spends $700K in tax dollars to lobby for higher taxes
Local-government lobbying groups are using residents’ money to lobby for higher income taxes.
The buck stops here: Toss Madigan’s illegal budget
The buck stops here: Toss Madigan’s illegal budget
If Madigan wants borrowing, tax hikes or some combination of the two, he should present his wish list to Illinois taxpayers.
Illinois’ property taxes are out of control, let taxpayers take driver’s seat
Illinois’ property taxes are out of control, let taxpayers take driver’s seat
Piecemeal fixes to the state’s property-tax problem have failed. It’s time to give the purse strings back to average Illinoisans.
Auditor general: Illinois Department of Corrections workers abusing overtime
Auditor general: Illinois Department of Corrections workers abusing overtime
IDOC employees were paid for over a million hours of overtime in 2014.
The Chicago penalty
The Chicago penalty
Chicago paid a premium on its recent bond offerings. Why? Default risk.
Yield on Chicago Public Schools bond offering hits 5.63%, bankruptcy the sensible option
Yield on Chicago Public Schools bond offering hits 5.63%, bankruptcy the sensible option
Where is the school district going to get $1.1 billion? The state? Think again.
Sauk Valley taxpayers could come out ahead on revenue-sharing reform
Sauk Valley taxpayers could come out ahead on revenue-sharing reform
Income-tax revenue represents just one-sixth of the $6.1 billion the state gives to local governments every year. Proposed reforms would leave untouched the vast majority of that money.
DeKalb County taxpayers may find relief with revenue-sharing reform
DeKalb County taxpayers may find relief with revenue-sharing reform
If taxpayers can get a bigger bang for their buck, they should get it.
On revenue-sharing reform, McHenry County taxpayers win for a change
On revenue-sharing reform, McHenry County taxpayers win for a change
Local governments must pare their budgets, forcing them to identify best practices they should have found already.
Tax season isn’t over: Illinoisans will work 120 days to pay for government in 2015
Tax season isn’t over: Illinoisans will work 120 days to pay for government in 2015
Illinois taxpayers celebrate Tax Freedom Day nearly two weeks after their peers in neighboring states.
ObamaCare brings another unwelcome Tax Day surprise for Illinoisans
ObamaCare brings another unwelcome Tax Day surprise for Illinoisans
How an SEIU contract sticks Illinois taxpayers with the costs of rising premiums under ObamaCare.