Illinois’ comeback story starts here.

The truth comes out: new pension proposal includes making 2011 tax hike permanent

The truth comes out: new pension proposal includes making 2011 tax hike permanent

Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang, D-Skokie, wants to hike taxes to avoid meaningful pension reform. Lang’s solution is to keep income taxes up statewide as a “reform” for Illinois’ pension systems, which are underfunded by $209 billion. He introduced legislation Wednesday, Feb. 20, that would make the record 67 percent income tax hike...

By Benjamin VanMetre

AFSCME memo releases new details on potential strike

AFSCME memo releases new details on potential strike

The Herald and Review has managed to get ahold of a new bulletin from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, to its members. This new message indicates that the union is getting closer to calling for a strike, and gives the union’s rationale for a walkout, revealing some very useful facts on the state...

By Paul Kersey

Money grab: Progressive income tax

Money grab: Progressive income tax

Progressive Income Tax: Money grab disguised as tax reform The same forces that helped Quinn land the governorship in 2010 and raise income taxes in 2011 are laying the groundwork for a progressive tax initiative. They want to make the temporary 2011 tax hike permanent and tax certain individuals at ever-higher marginal rates. Proponents of...

By Benjamin VanMetre

Rubio is thirsty for school choice

Rubio is thirsty for school choice

Though most of the attention Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, has received since he delivered the Republican response to the president’s State of the Union speech has been about his bad timing when taking a drink of water, many of the ideas he presented should have piqued viewers’ interest. This excerpt was music to my ears: “We need...

Two of Illinois’ five pension systems lost money in 2012

Two of Illinois’ five pension systems lost money in 2012

Not a single one of the state’s five public pension systems earned more than 1 percent returns on their investments last year. In fact, two of the five funds actually lost money. Although pension trustees predicted Illinois’ five pension funds would earn more than $5.1 billion in fiscal year 2012, the funds actually earned less...

By Jonathan Ingram

Illinois has the 2nd-highest property taxes in nation

Illinois has the 2nd-highest property taxes in nation

Statistics show Illinois is a high-tax state. Ironically, advocates of tax hikes across the state often argue that Illinois is a low-tax state. The people have a right to know the truth about Illinois’ tax environment.

By Brian Costin

Contagion: Strike fever spreads across Illinois

Contagion: Strike fever spreads across Illinois

  [updated Feb. 4, 2013] With the Chicago Teachers Union having waged a largely successful strike against the Chicago Public Schools, we can expect to see other public school unions, and maybe other government employee unions, following their example. Strikes allow unions to preserve costly wages and benefits, or block needed reforms, by shutting down...

By Paul Kersey

Institute on ABC 20: Legislative committee stipends are a waste

Institute on ABC 20: Legislative committee stipends are a waste

Institute Senior Director of Government Affairs, Matt Paprocki, joined ABC 20 to discuss legislative committee stipends, which are a waste. State lawmakers make about $65,000 a year for a job many of you think is part time. But that?s not all you pay them. If a lawmaker is a chairman or a spokesman for a...

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