Hard to trust Illinois politicians who won’t trust voters with the truth

By Brad Weisenstein

09/24/2020

The political cost for raising taxes is exactly why the constitution’s authors created a flat tax protection. About 30% of the lawmakers from the 100th Illinois General Assembly were gone after passing the 2017 income tax hike.

TAGS: fair tax, JB Pritzker, progressive tax

Indiana set to fully reopen state; Illinois remains stuck

By Ben Szalinski

09/24/2020

As Indiana gets back to normal, Illinois is locked into Phase 4 restrictions until further notice.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, Indiana, JB Pritzker

Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Illinois

By Brad Weisenstein, Ben Szalinski

09/23/2020

This page will be updated daily to reflect developments related to the spread of COVID-19 in Illinois.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, IDPH: Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois, JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot

Report: Illinois fiscal health again 2nd worst in U.S.

By Ben Szalinski

09/22/2020

Each Illinois taxpayers owes $52,000, thanks to politicians spending more than they already take in. On Nov. 3 taxpayers will be asked for even more.

TAGS: debt, economy, JB Pritzker, pensions

Official Illinois progressive tax explainer ranges from misleading to wrong

By Adam Schuster

09/18/2020

Progressive income tax proponents put factually inaccurate and misleading claims into a constitutionally required pamphlet intended to inform voters about a proposed amendment.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, fair tax, JB Pritzker, progressive tax

Illinois Tollway shows how political promises are easily broken

By Ben Szalinski

09/17/2020

Illinois tolls were supposed to be temporary. A progressive tax is only supposed to hurt 3% of Illinoisans. Political promises mean little in Illinois.

TAGS: fair tax, Illinois Tollway, JB Pritzker, progressive tax

When Illinois politicians call taxes ‘temporary’ or ‘fair,’ they won’t be

By Ben Szalinski

09/16/2020

Illinois lawmakers make many promises about tax increases. Then they break those promises.

TAGS: fair tax, JB Pritzker, progressive tax

Transportation spending shows ‘fair tax’ ripe for waste

By Ben Szalinski

09/15/2020

Politicians pledged to rebuild decaying roads and bridges if taxpayers paid just a little bit more, but too often the funds were misused and the promises meant little.

TAGS: fair tax, gas tax, JB Pritzker, waste

New Pritzker lockdowns driven by politics over science

By Brad Weisenstein

08/28/2020

Two areas of Illinois faced the same COVID-19 threat but received very different treatment from the governor. One is home to a political power base he needs to pass his progressive income tax in November.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, JB Pritzker

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

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

Illinois’ pension crisis has been a growing problem for decades, and its negative effects on state residents are well documented.1 Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdown orders threaten to bring that long-running crisis closer to its breaking point. The state’s five pension systems collectively held nearly $139 billion of debt at...

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Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

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Joanne Troesch

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

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