Illinois Turnaround Tour: Get On Board
Illinois Turnaround Tour: Get On Board
Death to Middle Schools?
Death to Middle Schools?
by Collin Hitt An intriguing new study comes from a team of researchers led by Jonah Rockoff. It looks at middle schools in New York City, and compares them to elementary schools with a K through 8 grade span. Students in the middle schools do worse than their peers who stay in the same school...
Nanny of the Month – Quincy chief of police
Nanny of the Month – Quincy chief of police
by Kristina Rasmussen You’d think that keeping drunks out of their cars would be a good thing, right? The story of one Quincy resident’s struggle with authorities to provide free rides to the intoxicated is featured in Reason.tv’s latest “Nanny of the Month” episode. Our September 2009 interview with Jonathan Schoenakase provides the back story.
Pick a Tax Hike and Stick With It
Pick a Tax Hike and Stick With It
by Kristina Rasmussen The group Americans for Tax Reform takes Governor Pat Quinn to task for his constantly-shifting tax hike plans: Today Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, called on Gov. Pat Quinn to be up front and honest about the true size of the income tax hike he has planned for Illinois families and job...
Public vs. Private Spending
Public vs. Private Spending
by Kate Piercy The Mercatus Center’s Research Fellow Matt Mitchell used data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to analyze the evolution of state, local, and private spending since 1950. Mitchell created a chart showing the spending level for each year from 1950 to 2009 and compares spending by state and local governments to spending in...
State Renegotiating Building Leases
State Renegotiating Building Leases
by Kristina Rasmussen State government is trying to save money by taking a closer look at the building leases that house agency offices. From the State-Journal Register: The cash-strapped state government has been terminating leases all across Illinois and renegotiating others with the goal of saving money. The Department of Central Management Services says it has cut...
State’s bond rating drives up borrowing costs
State’s bond rating drives up borrowing costs
by Heather Wilhelm It sure is getting expensive to be broke these days, and Illinois is learning the hard way, according to the Civic Federation’s latest study. The Chicago Sun-Times reports: The state’s miserable bond rating has driven up borrowing costs for state government by more than $500 million since last year, a government watchdog...
Sales Tax Confusion for Chicago Restaurants
Sales Tax Confusion for Chicago Restaurants
by Brian Costin A recent Chicago Reader article highlights confusion among Chicago’s restaurants in regards to the recent Cook County sales tax reduction, and a myriad of different taxing districts within the city. Every retail establishment in Chicago must collect and turn over to the Illinois Department of Revenue a 9.75 percent “retailers’ occupation tax”—or sales tax. This...
Daley Privatizing the Taste of Chicago
Daley Privatizing the Taste of Chicago
by Ashley Muchow Chicago mayor, Richard Daley has announced the Windy City will consider privatizing its recycling program and lakefront festivals to assist in closing the city’s budget deficit. Though a nominal amount compared to the state’s $13 billion budget deficit, Daley is determined to close the city’s $655 million budget hole without raising taxes. Following well known moves...
Health Care Freedom on CO Ballot
Health Care Freedom on CO Ballot
by Kristina Rasmussen Following in Missouri’s footsteps, a new citizens amendment has qualified for the Colorado ballot this fall. Colorado’s “Right to Health Care Choice” amendment — also known as Amendment 63 — would: Write into the Colorado Constitution that the State of Colorado cannot force its citizens to purchase a public or private health insurance product, either...
Fixed Race To The Top?
Fixed Race To The Top?
by Collin Hitt Illinois lost a very-high-stakes federal grant competition. The “Race To The Top” program has gathered headlines across the country for the better part of a year. It wrapped up earlier this week, with 12 states and the District of Columbia splitting $4B in stimulus largesse to fund public education. Ostensibly, the grant...
Regime Uncertainty
Regime Uncertainty
by Kate Piercy “Where are the new jobs?” asks John Stossel in his article today. Why aren’t businesses hiring? Well, Stossel concludes businesses will not start investing in new workers until the current “regime of uncertainty” ends, explaining: After previous recessions, unemployment didn’t get stuck at close to 10 percent. If left alone, the economy can...
Stimulus and Unemployment: No Correlation
Stimulus and Unemployment: No Correlation
by Kate Piercy Here’s an interesting chart from the Mercatus Center’s Veronique de Rugy, who has examined different states’ unemployment at the time The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) passed and the stimulus funds each state has received so far. De Rugy found no correlation between the two variables. The chart suggests stimulus funds...
Chicago Kids, Online, at School, Staying Late?
Chicago Kids, Online, at School, Staying Late?
by Collin Hitt Chicago Public Schools has announced that it is moving forward with a new plan to extend the school day at select elementary schools by using online learning technology. The Trib carried the story: In an effort to extend what is one of the nation’s shortest school days, Chicago Public Schools plans to add...