Highest inflation in 40 years deals Illinoisans $2,900 pay cut
Highest inflation in 40 years deals Illinoisans $2,900 pay cut
Wages have failed to keep up with inflation, dropping Illinoisans’ purchasing power by $2,900 on average.
Gas tax hike delay
Gas tax hike delay
Pritzker’s gas tax hike takes $277 from average Illinoisan
Pritzker’s gas tax hike takes $277 from average Illinoisan
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted a six-month delay in the next automatic gas tax hike as “tax relief.” But since he assumed office, the gas tax he raised has taken an extra $277 from every person in Illinois.
Chicago aldermen fail to repeal Lightfoot’s $80-million speed camera policy
Chicago aldermen fail to repeal Lightfoot’s $80-million speed camera policy
Chicago aldermen lacked the votes to repeal Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s lower speed camera ticketing threshold responsible for nearly $80 million in fines.
Report: Illinois likely to see high public pension debt go higher
Report: Illinois likely to see high public pension debt go higher
Forecasts predict Illinois public pension debt will grow despite the funds having one of their best investment years ever in 2021.
Ep. 45: The truth about Pritzker and Lightfoot’s economic record
Ep. 45: The truth about Pritzker and Lightfoot’s economic record
Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot are out on national and international tours, respectfully, touting their recent economic wins. But Illinoisans left at home face a dire jobs market: 1 in 6 jobs lost during COVID are still missing in Chicago and Illinois. Bryce Hill joins the Policy Shop to discuss the state’s economy and what...
Chicago speed cameras ticket 3.8 million drivers since Lightfoot cut limits
Chicago speed cameras ticket 3.8 million drivers since Lightfoot cut limits
Chicago’s speed cameras issued 3.8 million tickets since Mayor Lori Lightfoot lowered the threshold before a citation is written. That is like everyone in Chicago getting 1.4 tickets in 16 months.
Lightfoot policy change could quadruple Chicago property tax hike in 2023
Lightfoot policy change could quadruple Chicago property tax hike in 2023
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to tie property taxes to inflation in 2020 is coming back to bite taxpayers.
Vanessa Ortiz
Vanessa Ortiz
“The city needs to just find another way to raise money besides nickel-and-diming safe drivers.”
1M Chicago speed camera tickets fail to stop record traffic deaths
1M Chicago speed camera tickets fail to stop record traffic deaths
Chicago reported more traffic deaths in the first six months of 2022 than in any year since 2017, despite speed cameras issuing over 1 million tickets – as many tickets as Chicago has households. Two-thirds of the fines were for speeding 6-10 mph.
A property tax wolf in sheep’s clothing
A property tax wolf in sheep’s clothing
Lightfoot’s European Vacation: Big business flees Chicago
Lightfoot’s European Vacation: Big business flees Chicago
US jobs report beats June estimate, but Illinois at greater risk if recession hits
US jobs report beats June estimate, but Illinois at greater risk if recession hits
Illinois is one of the states with the most to gain from the continued national jobs recovery, but could be hit harder than other states by a recession.
Newsletter: The Simple Math of Pension Reform
Newsletter: The Simple Math of Pension Reform
This edition of The Policy Shop is written by Adam Schuster, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute. The numbers don’t lie. Our recent polling shows 61% of Illinois voters want pension reform. A big factor? Taxpayers contribute 84 cents of every dollar public pensioners receive in retirement. Our elected leaders in Illinois seem...