Judges
Judges
Another one of the state
Local governments among worst offenders in wasteful spending
Local governments among worst offenders in wasteful spending
Illinois state government has 230 programs that provide state funds to nearly 7,000 units of local government in Illinois. The largest 11 programs alone provide more than $13 billion to local governments. The distribution of that money, across the entire state, makes it difficult to hold state and local governments accountable for their spending decisions....
Illinois local government headlines
Illinois local government headlines
Palos Hills Mayor: ‘Cities and villages will go bankrupt if this does not change’ Despite all of the media focus on the state’s troubled pension systems, a Southtown Star column byPhil Kander details the problems many suburbs face with the mounting debt of public employee pensions. Intense lobbying by labor unions to pass costly pension sweeteners have caused...
Illinois Policy Institute’s favorite Christmas movies
Illinois Policy Institute’s favorite Christmas movies
Our team compiled a list of our favorite Christmas movies. And here they are in no particular order. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) Gremlins (1984) Die Hard (1988) A Christmas Story (1983) One Magic Christmas (1985) Home Alone (1990) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Love Actually (2003) How the Grinch...
Local governments among worst offenders in wasteful spending
Local governments among worst offenders in wasteful spending
Illinois state government has 230 programs that provide state funds to nearly 7,000 units of local government in Illinois. The largest 11 programs alone provide more than $13 billion to local governments.
Illinois local government headlines
Illinois local government headlines
Weekly local government headlines
Illinois Policy Institute’s favorite Christmas movies
Illinois Policy Institute’s favorite Christmas movies
Our team compiled a list of our favorite Christmas movies.
Budget and tax year-end review: a recap of the best and worst of 2012
Budget and tax year-end review: a recap of the best and worst of 2012
Unfortunately, 2012 was another dismal year for budget and tax policy in Illinois. It seems that the more things change the more they get worse in this state. But the Illinois Policy Institute is fighting to fix that. We believe that Illinois can once again become a beacon of economic freedom, individual liberty and prosperity....
Budget and tax year-end review: a recap of the best and worst of 2012
Budget and tax year-end review: a recap of the best and worst of 2012
Illinois unemployment: politicians living in an alternate reality
Illinois unemployment: politicians living in an alternate reality
Illinois’ unemployment fell to 8.7 percent in November from 8.8 percent in October, adding 16,400 new payroll jobs. Despite this small decrease in the unemployment rate, Illinois is still a full percentage point above the national unemployment average of 7.7 percent, and 1.6 percentage points higher than the average of its neighboring states. That fact –...
Illinois unemployment: politicians living in an alternate reality
Illinois unemployment: politicians living in an alternate reality
Illinois
Springfield Sliders bobbleheads cost Illinois taxpayers $10,000
Springfield Sliders bobbleheads cost Illinois taxpayers $10,000
The 2012 Illinois Piglet Book highlights nearly 200 examples of wasteful government spending totaling more than $354 million. The Springfield Park District, for example, spent $9,941 on bobbleheads. Many of these bobbling toys were modeled after Speedy the Turtle, the Springfield Sliders mascot. Some businesses are struggling to make payroll. Some families are working multiple jobs...
Rock Island County spent $1,100 on lipstick tubes
Rock Island County spent $1,100 on lipstick tubes
The 2012 Illinois Piglet Book highlights nearly 200 examples of wasteful government spending totaling more than $354 million. Rock Island County, for example, spent $1,101 on lipstick tubes. The county also spent $6,250 on elephant consulting and $20,489 paid to Swine-time Pig Racing.
Illinois’ high-tax problem
Illinois’ high-tax problem
THE PROBLEM In 2010, the Illinois Policy Institute reported that Illinois is a high-tax state with a tax burden in the top third of all states. The Institute cautioned that any tax increase would damage the state’s economic competitiveness. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly ignored numerous warnings and used a lame...