79,000 more Illinoisans are in poverty because state can’t fix its culture of corruption

By Orphe Divounguy

05/12/2021

If Illinois could have reduced corruption to the national average, an estimated 79,000 fewer people would be living in poverty, according to an analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute. State lawmakers can help by passing ethics reforms.

TAGS: corruption, economy, ethics reform, Illinois, income inequality, poverty

Reality check on 5 false claims used to boost Pritzker’s ‘fair tax’

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

08/27/2020

Voters can expect to be bombarded by claims about the ‘fair tax’ until Nov. 3 – but what are the facts? Proponents have made misleading claims in hopes of convincing Illinoisans to do away with the flat tax.

TAGS: fair tax, flat tax, income inequality, income tax, JB Pritzker, progressive income tax, taxes

7 reasons to reject a progressive income tax in Illinois

By Bryce Hill

04/11/2019

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is pushing a progressive state income tax without delivering the numbers to prove his promises. The numbers available from other states make it clear a progressive tax will hurt Illinois’ economy.

TAGS: fair tax, income growth, income inequality, income tax, JB Pritzker, labor force participation rate, outmigration, progressive income tax, taxes, unemployment

4 lessons Illinois should learn from Connecticut’s ‘fair tax’ failure

By Vincent Caruso

03/11/2019

Only one state has switched its income tax structure from flat to progressive in the past 30 years. Its disastrous results may explain why.

TAGS: Connecticut, fair tax, income inequality, income tax, JB Pritzker, poverty, progressive income tax, taxes

Progressive income taxes don’t reduce income inequality

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

03/05/2019

Despite Illinois’ governor’s claims, states with progressive income taxes face greater gaps between rich and poor.

TAGS: income inequality, income tax, JB Pritzker, poverty, progressive income tax, taxes

Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

America’s War on Poverty has been an abject failure. Nearly $12 trillion and 60 years later, official poverty rates remain basically unchanged. While the nation waged a well-intentioned assault on poverty, it inadvertently launched a far more sinister war: on dignity. While attempting to eradicate poverty, America created countless government welfare programs. In doing so,...

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Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

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Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students