The Transparent Presidency?
The Transparent Presidency?
Promises of televised health care negotiations...
Over $3,000 on Glue Sticks
Over $3,000 on Glue Sticks
The Department of Employment Security has spent more then $3,000 on glue sticks over the past 2 years.
Save the Poor – Oppose the Health Bill
Save the Poor – Oppose the Health Bill
Those of us opposed to the health care
Capital Bill = More Empty Buildings?
Capital Bill = More Empty Buildings?
Could the mixture of Illinois's new capital building program and a lack of operating funds leave us with new -- but empty -- state facilities?
Government Wages and Benefits Are Half of State and Local Spending
Government Wages and Benefits Are Half of State and Local Spending
The Cato Institute takes a closer look at the generous wages and benefits offered by state and local governments.
State Spends More than $8,000 on Calendars
State Spends More than $8,000 on Calendars
In 2008, the state spent more than $8,000 on calendars. How much will it spend in 2010?
State Pads Local Pensions, Burden on Local Taxpayers Rises
State Pads Local Pensions, Burden on Local Taxpayers Rises
The state legislature pads local government pension benefits, and taxpayers get to pony up the money to pay for it.
Departments with the Highest Average Wages in 2008
Departments with the Highest Average Wages in 2008
Which departments had the highest average wages in 2008? Find out here.
Which Departments Spent the Most on Wages in 2008?
Which Departments Spent the Most on Wages in 2008?
Using our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, you can find out which departments spent the most on wagesvin 2008.
Contracting for Success: An Introduction to School Service Privatization
Contracting for Success: An Introduction to School Service Privatization
The Problem During these trying fiscal times, many school districts are attempting to find ways to become more efficient. Private firms are able to assist in this goal, while often improving the quality of certain services. For example, support service providers can offer more efficient busing or cafeteria services, and instructional service providers can offer...
Getting Less For More: A Report Card on Illinois State Higher Education
Getting Less For More: A Report Card on Illinois State Higher Education
The Problem Tuition at Illinois’s state universities is becoming less affordable for Illinois families. From 2002 to 2007, in-state tuition and fees jumped by an average of 56 percent, with no campus increasing rates by less than 42 percent and two campuses increasing rates by more than 70 percent [in inflation-adjusted dollars]. In just five...
Charter Schools and Changing Neighborhoods: Hispanics and English Learners in Chicago
Charter Schools and Changing Neighborhoods: Hispanics and English Learners in Chicago
The Problem Illinois’s Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Hispanic students will play a major role in determining the state’s economic future. Unfortunately, these two critical groups of students have remained among the lowest-performing in our schools. This is especially the case in Chicago Public Schools, where the problem is exacerbated by the fact that thousands...
Charting the Course: Illinois Charter Schools Offer a Proven Solution to the State’s Dropout Problem
Charting the Course: Illinois Charter Schools Offer a Proven Solution to the State’s Dropout Problem
The Problem What would you do if your children could be on a championship-level team…but they weren’t allowed to try out? Every day, kids from many of Illinois’s roughest communities prove they can compete in the classroom. All they need is the opportunity—an opportunity often provided by charter schools. Tragically, thousands of children are not...
How Does the Illinois Constitution Stand Up?
How Does the Illinois Constitution Stand Up?
Overview In an era of burgeoning federal government power, state constitutions are full of untapped potential; many provide stronger protection of individual freedoms than the federal constitution. But realizing that potential requires recognizing its existence and assessing which state constitutions offer the best opportunities for securing the principles of limited government. “50 Bright Stars: An...