Pizza with a purpose
Pizza with a purpose
Dimitri has found that investing in good people makes the difference in an industry where the customer experience matters.
Indiana decision to strike down Right-to-Work law should not stand
Indiana decision to strike down Right-to-Work law should not stand
Judge John Sedia of the Lake County, Ind., Superior Court has held that the state’s Right-to-Work law violates the state constitution. While the Sept. 9 decision is disappointing, neither union officials nor union critics should put much stock in it. The state will appeal the case to the Indiana Supreme Court, which is very likely to reverse...
More than 2 million Illinoisans dependent on food stamps
More than 2 million Illinoisans dependent on food stamps
The total number of Illinoisans on food stamps increased to nearly 2.15 million in June. One-sixth of Illinoisans, or 16.7 percent, are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. More than 100,000 people were added to the SNAP rolls in June. This is an artificially high number resulting from disaster-response programs deployed in...
Want to criticize your government? Better get permission first.
Want to criticize your government? Better get permission first.
If you want to criticize a politician, should you have to check with your lawyer first or get the government’s permission? You wouldn’t think so – at least not in America, where we have a First Amendment that’s supposed to protect our right to free speech. Unfortunately, laws enacted under the guise of “campaign finance...
Chicago: highest gas prices of any major U.S. metro area
Chicago: highest gas prices of any major U.S. metro area
Chicago has the highest gas prices of any major metropolitan area in the United States. A gallon of gas is now $4.06 on average in Chicago; the national average is $3.56. Though outside factors influence the raw price of gas, one of the reasons Chicago’s prices are consistently among the most expensive in the nation is the additional...
The CTU strike, one year later – the battle lives on
The CTU strike, one year later – the battle lives on
A year ago, schoolchildren throughout Chicago were returning to class as the Chicago Teachers Union, or CTU, and Chicago Public Schools, or CPS, officials reached an agreement, ending a bitter nine-day strike. Looking back on the strike and its aftermath, there were few clear winners; but there were many losers. In the wake of the...
Less-bad news is still bad news
Less-bad news is still bad news
If you were told that your health insurance premiums would be doubling next year, would you be celebrating? Only if you were expecting them to triple. A new study of ObamaCare health insurance premiums in 17 states and the District of Columbia suggests that the cost for consumers will be lower than the previous Congressional Budget Office...
Outsourcing ObamaCare
Outsourcing ObamaCare
A recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune criticized the state Department of Insurance for not publicly releasing health insurance premium rates for the health care exchange. The exchange is a central feature of ObamaCare in which individuals and small businesses will begin buying private insurance coverage Oct. 1. With rates expected to go up dramatically, it’s no...
Destroying public audio recordings a crime against transparency
Destroying public audio recordings a crime against transparency
Recording and publishing the audio of board meetings is an essential public good. This form of transparency creates an opportunity for the public to be informed about government bodies and elected officials that represent them, and gives the public an important tool to hold government accountable for its actions. Unfortunately, Belvidere Township in Boone County...
Labor reform continues to gain popularity
Labor reform continues to gain popularity
Labor law reform has been popular in a lot of neighboring states, with Wisconsin passing an overhaul of its government union law, and Michigan and Indiana adopting right-to-work. The move toward greater union accountability could pick up again if Missouri sets up a referendum on right-to-work, as it might as early as next year. Labor...
Government officials using anti-discrimination law to perpetuate educational disadvantages
Government officials using anti-discrimination law to perpetuate educational disadvantages
The Department of Justice is seeking a federal court order to halt Louisiana’s school voucher program. The order would apply to school districts still under federal desegregation supervision. Arguing that the implementation of the voucher system has caused “school wide racial demographics to stray further from district-wide percentages,” the DOJ seeks to put the program on hold...
Progressive tax facts
Progressive tax facts
Several special interest groups and lawmakers in Illinois are pushing to increase taxes by swapping out the state’s constitutionally protected flat rate income tax for a progressive income tax. Advocates for higher income taxes try to disguise the tax hike as something it isn’t. Here are the facts on a progressive income tax: Thirty-one of...
Remembering Don Wade
Remembering Don Wade
Like so many in Chicago, I was saddened to hear that longtime WLS radio host Don Wade died last week. Don and his co-host and wife Roma arrived in Chicago about the same time as I did. They became my radio “friends” and helped me fall in love with the city. Being a guest on...
North Carolina tax reformers just getting started
North Carolina tax reformers just getting started
North Carolina is gearing up for another reform effort to enhance the state’s competitiveness. This year, political leaders overhauled North Carolina’s tax environment. Beginning in 2014, the state’s progressive income tax will be replaced with a lower, more competitive flat rate income tax. And the new flat rates are scheduled to decrease even more over the...