by Collin Hitt The search for a new Cubs manager in many ways will be more exciting than watching that guy manage, when the time comes. The sportswriters guarantee that. And it’ll probably be more fun to receive the job than to have it, at least in the short run. The sportswriters make sure of...
by Kate Piercy Do you know how much you’re paying for lobbyists? Sunshine Review has released a paper about taxpayer-funded lobbying in Illinois, reporting information about lobbying contracts and membership in taxpayer-funded lobbying associations. Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations are groups funded at least in part by public dollars that lobby for the collective interests of government bodies. ...
by Kate Piercy Section 1604 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (AARA) specifically prohibits funds from flowing to certain entertainment and recreation projects. Does a casino, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool sound like recreation or entertainment to you? Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Ranking Member on the Committee on Government Oversight and...
Problem In a previous “Spotlight on Spending” analysis, the Illinois Policy Institute focused on the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s questionable grants, which range anywhere from giving money to help celebrate a Canadian 4th of July, increasing the awareness of Chicago and Illinois in Ireland, providing a fraternity with money to use solar power,...
by Kate Piercy DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom has unveiled a $70 million capital plan with bond projects ranging from improvements to roads and campus grounds, creating bike trails and planting trees. The 30-year plan will cost taxpayers nearly $125 million. Although the projects may sound nice, is this fiscally responsible or fair to...
by Kristina Rasmussen Not one to stop good money from going after bad, President Obama announced plans for a new stimulus spending spree, this time to the tune of $50 billion for roads, rail boondoggles, and the like. I don’t think the American people will buy into it. Over the past year, chances are you’ve driven by more than...
by Kristina Rasmussen Feeling blue about state government? You’re not alone: CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois voters don’t have a lot of confidence in state government, and their outlook about the federal government isn’t much better. That’s according to a new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll. The poll found that more than 6 in 10 of those surveyed lack confidence in...
by Kristina Rasmussen With the state billions of dollars in the hole, Illinois’s network of state parks is facing budget cuts: The Wildlife Prairie Park subsidy is being wiped out as part of a $2.4 million reduction in lump sums at the Department of Natural Resources. DNR will also reduce vacant positions and defer “non-critical” maintenance at...
by Ashley Muchow The economy has proved to be the most important topic in politics today. Rightfully so. Come the end of last month, U.S. unemployment stood at 9.6%. Economic activity left much to be desired as GDP rose 1.6% in the second quarter of 2010, compared to a 3.6% increase in the first. Naturally, Washington feels obliged...
by Collin Hitt In more serious news, the federal government announced the final $350M in awards that it’ll be handing out for Race to the Top. This time, the Department of Education is funding multi-state initiatives to develop better standardized testing models. Illinois belongs to one of the winning groups, which features Florida as the lead state. If things...
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson According to a recent New York Times article, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has been racking up some interesting credit card expenses in the past few years– all on the taxpayers’ dime. Expenses include travel to professional conferences, luxury hotel stays, a chartered evening cruise on the Chicago River, and...
by Kate Piercy The Illinois Policy Institute sent a Freedom of Information Request into the state asking for state employee salary information, and it came back with some puzzling data: Illinois taxpayers gave former governor Rod Blagojevich $28,880.07 in 2009. His “monthly salary” was $14,784.33, so it appears he received two months of pay in...
by Ashley Muchow One week of cost cutting suggestions down, another to go. Daley has provided further information on how, and what, he plans to do to narrow the city’s $655 million budget deficit. Daley proposed today the city of Chicago cut costs by consolidating a handful of city departments. The Department of Cultural Affairs and the Mayor’s Office...
by Lee Williams Carl Lambrecht knew he might be arrested when walked into what he believes was a public meeting Tuesday night. Instead, he never got in the door. He believes he was excluded from the meeting by district officials, in order to keep details of a costly referendum from the public. Lambrecht, a 77-year-old...