Chicago’s recent triple-notch downgrade by Fitch Ratings is a stark reminder that Illinois’ inability to solve its pension crisis has consequences. Illinois has the lowest credit rating of all 50 states. In contrast, three of its neighbors have maintained their AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. Illinois has suffered 13 downgrades from the...
Five million Americans and counting across the country have already received notices that their health insurance plans in the individual and small group markets are being canceled as a result of ObamaCare. So far, Andrew Boron, Illinois’ insurance commissioner, has not yet revealed how many Illinoisans are facing the same situation, despite calls from both...
E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among smokers of traditional cigarettes looking to kick the habit by moving to a less harmful alternative. So why are Illinois governments wasting taxpayer dollars and time trying to make them harder to buy? The Evanston City Council recently jumped to regulate e-cigarettes under the same...
A lot of local governments are looking at increasing their property tax rates this time of year. Although many of the individual government increases appear relatively small, when added up they could represent a significant increase in cost to local property owners. The root of the problem — explored once again in a new study...
What happens when a local union calls a strike and employees show up to work anyway? Will County residents may get to find out. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1028 announced that it intends to strike against Will County effective Monday, Nov. 18. The strike comes in spite of a final...
The pension crisis has left teachers at risk of losing everything they’re counting on for retirement. Teachers deserve choice and control over their future. The Illinois Policy Institute supports freeing teachers from the bad choices of unpredictable Illinois politicians. Here’s our approach for treating everybody fairly: Pension benefits earned to date are paid. Going forward,...
Yet another city is heading toward bankruptcy. Desert Hot Springs, Calif., a city of 26,000 in the south-central part of the state, warned it could run out of money as soon as March 2014. If that occurs, the city could be forced to file for bankruptcy. If that happens, Desert Hot Springs will be the...
The International Association of Machinists rejected an eight-year contract offer from Boeing Co. yesterday, according to the Chicago Tribune. The contract extension would’ve ensured that production of Boeing’s 777X plane would continue in Washington state – in exchange for several cost-cutting measures, including moving employees to a 401(k)-style retirement plan by 2016. If all had...
The state charter school commission is under attack. State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, has contempt for the state charter school commission, even though she voted for its creation more than two years ago. It was on full display the last time Jeanne Nowaczewski – the commission’s executive director – appeared in front of the...
The dismal ObamaCare “enrollments” reported yesterday tell only one small part of the larger ObamaCare train wreck. For those watching closely, there is an uncomfortable realization that ObamaCare is actually increasing the number of uninsured Americans. Five millions and counting Americans across the country have received notices that their health insurance plans in the individual...
In January, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, or HFS, began a new project verifying eligibility for Illinois’ Medicaid enrollees. For years, state workers had failed to take adequate steps to ensure the people receiving Medicaid benefits were actually eligible for the program. As an Auditor General report noted, state workers failed to verify basic...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just released the much-anticipated enrollment numbers for the ObamaCare health insurance exchanges. But instead of reporting on actual enrollments, the administration is, instead, reporting on the number of people who have put a health plan in their checkout cart, but haven’t actually checked out. The distinction is...
Illinois has more units of local government than any other state in the nation.
Illinois’ corporate income tax rate is already the fourth-highest in the industrialized world. Yet some lawmakers want to push rates even higher. State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Champaign, wants swap out Illinois’ constitutionally protected flat rate income tax on corporations with a progressive income tax hike. And that would be on top of the fact that...