Chicago's violent crime is up. A record $300 million was spent on police overtime last year. It's simple: too few cops leads to too much crime and requires a very wasteful, inefficient fix. Chicago needs more officers on patrol.
State lawmakers are no closer to trusting Illinoisans with fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. Forty-seven other states give their residents that freedom.
The typical racing fan will pay an extra $22 for general admission to Chicago’s NASCAR “Street Race Weekend” thanks to the city’s amusement tax. Luxury seating could cost residents more than the price of a standard ticket in taxes alone.
The Chicago Teachers Union contract already provides 43 days off each year to teachers during the school year, but CTU is seeking at least two more days outside of the classroom. Its demands also include nine additional or expanded types of leave.
This edition of The Policy Shop is by Director of Fiscal and Economic Research Bryce Hill. The Illinois Policy Institute was very clear about just how wrong Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was to push a hike in the real estate transfer tax to generate $100 million to address homelessness and affordable housing. Bad idea, with great potential...
The Chicago Teachers Union's lengthy list of demands includes base raises and experience compensation each year, housing help, climate justice, more compensation added to pension calculations and a pool of health care funds targeted to racial disparities.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has a lot of plans to change the social order, but what he doesn’t have is a plan for how to stanch the city’s literal or figurative bleeding. Without law and order, people and businesses will continue to flee: 32,990 people in 2022, plus major businesses over crime and taxes. Chicago’s...
This edition of The Policy Shop is by policy analyst Hannah Schmid. On Tuesday the Illinois General Assembly will begin the fall veto session, when they have a chance to override the vetoes issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker plus put other bills in motion. The best use of their time this fall is to save...
This edition of The Policy Shop is by Director of Fiscal and Economic Research Bryce Hill. America has lost the War on Poverty. After nearly 60 years, the poverty rate remains stuck between 11% and 15%. It focused on making poverty less painful rather than helping people escape a trap that lasts for generations. The free...
This edition of The Policy Shop is by Director of Policy Research Joseph Tabor. Geraldine Tyler is a 94-year-old Minnesota grandmother who in 2010 fell behind in the property taxes on her one-bedroom condo after moving into a senior living apartment. Hennepin County took the condo, sold it for $40,000 to cover a tax debt...
This edition of The Policy Shop comes to you from policy analyst Hannah Schmid. Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates believes in school choice – for herself. Now that she’s admitted her child attends a private high school, she is attempting to spin the hypocrisy of trying to stop low-income families from making that same choice into...
This edition of The Policy Shop comes to you from policy analyst Hannah Schmid. Almost everyone in Illinois is back to school at this point – even Chicago Public Schools’ first day was earlier than their typical post-Labor Day start. Speaking of CPS, many students will return to Chicago school buildings with mostly empty seats...
This edition of The Policy Shop comes to you from policy adviser Paul Vallas and writer Patrick Andriesen. Happy Wednesday. Today we’ll be looking at gun violence in Chicago and the spike in youth crime, trying to understand what’s really going on. Chicago’s gun problem. Shootings in Chicago in 2022 were up by nearly one-third compared...
This edition of The Policy Shop was written by Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research. It’s a good month to be a state worker in Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has awarded the largest ever American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) contract, which includes 19% pay raises and a $1,200 signing bonus for...