Following once again in New York City’s tradition of petty nanny statism, a new ordinance proposed by aldermen Edward Burke and Anthony Beale seeks to ban horse-drawn carriages in Chicago. The proposed ordinance would amend the municipal code to prohibit the renewal of carriage licenses, which would bring an end to the industry by the...
Time and time again, local taxing bodies in Illinois fail to understand the importance of transparency until after a corruption scandal hits. The latest cautionary tale of public corruption comes from Plainfield Park District, where a whole host of unethical activities has led to the resignation of the executive director, calls for a resignation from...
Nonfarm payrolls increased by only 113,000 in January, compared with an average of 194,000 per month in 2013 and The Wall Street consensus expectations of 180,000, according to the report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. December’s disappointing payroll number was revised up only to 75,000 from 74,000, leaving the U.S. with consecutive ugly...
Smartphone-based taxi services such as Uber and Lyft have been invaluable for many Chicagoans during the polar vortex and its lingering aftermath. The city’s entrenched taxi industry doesn’t like that fact. They’ve filed suit against the city of Chicago, claiming that allowing the existence of these in-demand services discriminates against people without access to smartphone...
It didn’t take long for Illinois’ spending machine to cram more debt down taxpayers’ throats. Only two months after signing a pension bill, Gov. Pat Quinn is borrowing yet another $1 billion to fund state construction projects. This will be the first large borrowing for Illinois since it passed Senate Bill 1, a pension fix...
In late January new legislation, Senate Bill 2682, was introduced to the Illinois Senate mandating that all eighth-graders be taught “the history of organized labor in America” and “the collective bargaining process.” The bill strengthens existing language so no student would be allowed to graduate eighth grade without being taught the importance of organized labor....
While the Illinois General Assembly debates outlawing the use of Google Glass while driving, others are creating innovative apps to fight government waste and corruption using Google’s groundbreaking new technology. Have you ever walked down the street, stared at a government building and wondered how much it costs to operate? Imagine eyeing the elegant copper...
Some of the same Illinois lawmakers and Medicaid expansion advocates who promised better access to care, better health outcomes and lower emergency-room utilizations to justify expanding Medicaid eligibility in Illinois now want to backtrack on these promises. They are attempting to redirect attention away from their lofty promises and toward needing “more time” to achieve...
The Obama administration’s public relations machine has been trumpeting the success of the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as ObamaCare, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. Enrollment has been anemic, the website is plagued with problems, and it is possible that there are now more people without insurance as a direct result...
Lawmakers and special-interest groups across Illinois are trying to dupe Illinoisans into paying higher income taxes. They’re trying to convince Illinoisans that a progressive income tax hike is only a tax hike on the rich. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Need proof? Look at both progressive tax proposals on the table in...
The office of Governor Pat Quinn is claiming victory off a study released Thursday by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International. The study shows that Illinois ranked third-highest nationally in the creation of net new business establishments from 2009-2012. An establishment is defined as a single location that produces some form of economic activity, and...
Imagine creating a new solution, devising an innovative new product, providing an effective service or simply doing something well enough that you can build a business. Your dream has come true, and you’re ready to start out on your own. As a small-business owner, you want to utilize the advantages of the Limited Liability Company,...
Many of Illinois' local pension funds are nearing insolvency.
In a recent editorial, Better Government Association, or BGA, President Andy Shaw debates examines Illinois’ “obesity epidemic.” But bulging waistlines are not the target of Shaw’s ire. Instead, he complains about Illinois’ abundance of taxing bodies. “This is about a state that’s morbidly obese when it comes to government: Illinois has nearly 7,000 separate taxing...