Al Panico
Al Panico
I have a loyalty to my company and my people because they’ve been loyal to me and the company for many, many years.
Rauner reaffirms commitment to criminal-justice reform
Rauner reaffirms commitment to criminal-justice reform
Gov. Bruce Rauner highlights the continued need for criminal-justice reform to save taxpayer dollars and restore opportunity. To get there, Illinois must embrace reforms that enable ex-offenders to provide for themselves and their families once they’ve served their sentences.
The $53 million boogeyman: Illinois’ financial woes due to decades of mismanagement, not 7 months of gridlock
The $53 million boogeyman: Illinois’ financial woes due to decades of mismanagement, not 7 months of gridlock
Illinois paid $53 million more to borrow money through its Jan. 14 bond sale than it would have paid had politicians not let the state’s debt and government-worker pension obligations spiral out of control, while driving out taxpaying residents and businesses through tax hikes and costly regulations.
Bankruptcy talk hits Chicago: Illinois governor proposes bankruptcy for Chicago Public Schools
Bankruptcy talk hits Chicago: Illinois governor proposes bankruptcy for Chicago Public Schools
Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republican state lawmakers have proposed bankruptcy for Chicago Public Schools; Mayor Rahm Emanuel has rejected the idea of bankruptcy, repeating his demand that Illinois taxpayers bail out the struggling school district.
Rauner making moves on pension reform
Rauner making moves on pension reform
On Jan. 21 Gov. Bruce Rauner reignited reform talks surrounding Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation pension crisis.
Emanuel cracks down on Airbnb through new tax and regulations
Emanuel cracks down on Airbnb through new tax and regulations
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed 2 percent tax and new regulations would harm Chicagoans trying to make ends meet by renting out space in their homes, as well as tourists looking for less expensive lodging.
2011 income-tax hike turned Illinois into a top 5 state for total tax burden, new study shows
2011 income-tax hike turned Illinois into a top 5 state for total tax burden, new study shows
Illinoisans handed over a larger portion of their earnings to state and local governments than did taxpayers in 45 lower-tax states in fiscal year 2012, according to a new Tax Foundation study.
Illinois pensions: What you need to know
Illinois pensions: What you need to know
Here's what you need to know about Illinois' $111 billion state pension crisis.
Illinois paid $1.6M to state workers whose workplaces are closed
Illinois paid $1.6M to state workers whose workplaces are closed
A pending lawsuit by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, among other unions, is keeping dozens of workers on state payrolls – even though their workplaces have been shuttered for months.
Illinois became less competitive after Blagojevich’s 2005 workers’ compensation bill
Illinois became less competitive after Blagojevich’s 2005 workers’ compensation bill
This blog is the fifth part of a series that explores Illinois’ workers’ compensation system, the state’s inadequate reforms, and opportunities policymakers should seize now to make the system less costly and more effective for employers and workers alike.
Oversight of Chicago City Council coming soon
Oversight of Chicago City Council coming soon
At its next meeting in February, City Council will likely approve legislation to expand the scope of the inspector general’s role to overseeing aldermen.
What’s driving the Illinois exodus? Census data point to jobs, housing
What’s driving the Illinois exodus? Census data point to jobs, housing
More than two-thirds of people moving far from their home state said employment or housing drove their decision.
Rahm’s Whine and Cheese
Rahm’s Whine and Cheese
Rauner moves to declare impasse in negotiations with AFSCME
Rauner moves to declare impasse in negotiations with AFSCME
Lacking signs of progress after 24 bargaining sessions with Illinois’ largest government-employee union, Gov. Bruce Rauner says that “further negotiation is no longer worthwhile.” AFSCME continues to ignore the fact that the people who pay its members’ salaries and benefits, Illinois taxpayers, continue to struggle in a difficult Illinois economy. Illinois workers, faced with stagnant earnings, are now paying for AFSCME salaries that are double their own.