After getting his start in the Cabrini Green public housing development, Joel Hamernick has spent 30 years working with gangs and neighborhood groups to prevent gun violence in Chicago. “About 20 years ago, the gangs in Chicago had a strong governmental hierarchy and a lot more structure. But today, almost none of that structure remains.”...
Illinois House Bill 5896 would require more detailed reporting of how Springfield spends taxpayer money. It improves transparency, which is a step toward fiscal restraint.
Voters in Lemont Township are taking up the pension crisis, gerrymandering and unfunded mandates. The township voted to put three questions on the April 1 ballot to let state leaders know they expect progress on the issues.
Chicago Transit Authority Green Line riders were the most likely to be crime victims for the 12 months ending in September. The most dangerous CTA stop had nearly 7 crimes per 100,000 riders compared to 1.3 systemwide.
Colorado lawmakers passed an act in 2012 to focus on early literacy development and the science of reading. Its fourth graders are now in the Top 5 states for reading proficiency. Illinois can benefit from adopting five of their tactics.
The nation’s longest-serving legislative speaker, a woman who called herself “super mayor” and a collection of other self-serving public servants are among the highest-profile corruption cases in decades. Here’s the naughty list for 2024.
“I first started thinking about Dearborn Denim in 2014 because I wanted to get out of my job as a bond trader and start my own business.” “When I looked at apparel manufacturing, I realized you can manufacture in Chicago paying fair wages and sell directly to customers online and really shrink the supply chain...
You might celebrate the holiday season by indulging in not-so-healthy habits. State lawmakers are encouragingly discouraging you for the sake of their budget.
The Chicago Teachers Union played a long game with Acero charter schools: unionizing them, undermining them and then taking them over. Now students and parents are left without the charter schools they chose.
Illinois is caught in a sluggish job market with persistently high unemployment. It was third-highest in the U.S. again during November.
Chicago’s public pension contributions remain lower than what actuaries say is needed to pay benefits despite a nearly six-fold increase in spending since 2014. Pension problems are driving high property taxes ever higher.
Sales taxes up to 11.5% will greet some Cook County shoppers this holiday season. Illinois averages 8.85% in sales taxes statewide, slightly more than last year and the seventh highest nationwide.
A current dispute with SEIU and militant stances against police are just two reasons other city unions have reason to believe the Chicago Teachers Union cares little about solidarity and a lot about its own interests.