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
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...
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.
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...
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 2012 Illinois Piglet Book highlights nearly 200 examples of wasteful government spending totaling more than $354 million.
The 2012 Illinois Piglet Book highlights nearly 200 examples of wasteful government spending totaling more than $354 million.
In the mid-1990s, Illinois lawmakers were facing a serious problem: the unfunded liability of the state’s five public pension systems. By 1996, the state’s unfunded pension liability stood at $20 billion. As a way to combat this growing problem, the state created a repayment schedule, often called the “pension ramp.” The pension ramp promised to...
PRESS RELEASE from the ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE MEDIA CONTACT: Diana Rickert Diana@IllinoisPolicy.org or (312) 607-4977 Vernon Hills only bright spot in suburban government transparency audit 19 out of 22 local governments in Lake County receive failing grades CHICAGO (Dec. 19, 2012) – Lake County residents pay some of the highest property tax rates in the...
In the mid-1990s, Illinois lawmakers were facing a serious problem: the unfunded liability of the state
Are you worried about your own retirement? With the downturn in the economy, did your 401k and savings take a big hit? If so, you're like millions of other Americans forced to confront a dramatically different outlook for their post-work years. But one gr