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...
Fact check: Pritzker claims fiscal responsibility but report shows ‘fiscal cliff’
Fact check: Pritzker claims fiscal responsibility but report shows ‘fiscal cliff’
A new report shows Illinois is likely to face financial challenges when the federal stimulus money propping up its current budget runs out. That reality is very different than the Pritzker campaign claims about fiscal responsibility.
Contempt citation No. 12: DCFS forces girl to wait 170 days in mental hospital
Contempt citation No. 12: DCFS forces girl to wait 170 days in mental hospital
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith faces his 12th contempt of court order of 2022. In the latest, the judge ruled Smith failed to place a 15-year-old girl in proper housing for 170 days, leaving her in a mental hospital.
State workers enforcing Pritzker tax sign compliance at Illinois gas pumps
State workers enforcing Pritzker tax sign compliance at Illinois gas pumps
State workers are out enforcing Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandate that all gas pumps carry a sign noting his delay in the next automatic gas tax hike. The Illinois Fuel and Retail Association is in state court fighting the mandate and $500-a-day fines.
Illinois adds jobs in May, but in just over half of metro areas
Illinois adds jobs in May, but in just over half of metro areas
Despite a full year of job gains, all Illinois metropolitan areas are missing jobs since the pandemic began and the recovery stalled. While May brought job gains statewide, only eight metro areas saw gains while seven saw losses.
Illinois adds 12,800 jobs in May, still missing 136,400 from pandemic
Illinois adds 12,800 jobs in May, still missing 136,400 from pandemic
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in May, but the state is still missing nearly one in six jobs lost during the pandemic.
National teachers union pushes mandatory masking, vaccines
National teachers union pushes mandatory masking, vaccines
Delegates to the National Education Association’s annual meeting again called for mask and vaccine mandates, as well as remote learning. On Nov. 8 voters will decide whether to grant Illinois union bosses more power to set school policy.
Gas tax doubled
Gas tax doubled
AFSCME puts $100K into campaign guaranteeing $2,100 property tax hike
AFSCME puts $100K into campaign guaranteeing $2,100 property tax hike
Illinois’ largest state worker union has a long history of demanding higher taxes. Now AFSCME is funding a state constitutional amendment campaign that will hike property taxes statewide.