Maybe you haven’t heard yet, but city of Chicago leaders have unveiled a plan to fund a new stadium for DePaul University – a private school. You may also not have heard of Chicago’s Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, or McPier, but chances are if you have ever been to Chicago you’ve probably paid taxes...
by Brian Costin Every once in a while, government in Illinois actually gets smaller. One recent example revolves around the Wildlife Prairie State Park, which will drop “State” from its name and will be run by the Forest Park Foundation of Peoria, a private, nonprofit group, effective immediately. Wildlife Prairie Park, located 10 miles west of...
by Brian Costin The city of Chicago is currently considering bids to select a private management company for the operation of Midway Airport for the next 40 years. The proceeds of the deal will be primarily used to pay off Midway’s $1.4 billion in outstanding debt and additional capital needs. As an advocate for limited...
Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, districts are a controversial economic development tool – and there is no concrete evidence they actually work. In fact, a study from professors at the University of Chicago and Lake Forest College showed that Illinois communities with TIF districts “grew substantially slower than non-adopters.” By law, TIFs are intended to promote economic...
A study from professors at the University of Chicago and Lake Forest College showed that Illinois communities with TIF districts grew substantially slower than non-adopters.
The Illinois Senate has overwhelmingly approved legislation to improve the state?s maximum speed limit to 70 mph. The legislation, Senate Bill 2356, was introduced by freshman state Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, and was approved by a 41-6 margin. Illinois currently has one of the lowest speed limits in the entire country. In the Midwest,...
The city of Dixon made international news last year after a public corruption scandal broke, revealing the citys comptroller stole more than $53 million from local taxpayers.
Federal authorities have raided Sacred Heart Hospital on Chicagos West Side after alleged crimes of medically unnecessary sedation, intubation and tracheotomy procedures on patients in an attempt to defraud Medicare and Medicaid.
291 days and counting...
As we try to evaluate the deal that Gov. Pat Quinn reached with state employees, we have plenty of reasons to be skeptical about Quinns claim that health care changes in the contract will save the state $900 million
Counties across Illinois reject school facility sales tax hikes.
Institute works with Metra to improve government transparency as a way to increase accountability and to deter public corruption.
Corruption charges have rocked the city of Dixon once in the last year, but now a second scandal caused by a lack of online transparency has reared its ugly head.
In January 2012, the Illinois Auditor Generals office set up a fraud hotline to provide Illinoisans a way to sound the alarm on corruption. After all, Illinois is the third-most corrupt state in America.