Pat Quinn

Chart of the week: Setting the record straight on employment under Quinn

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

06/09/2014

When Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign spokesperson, Brooke Anderson, joined host Mike Flannery on Fox Chicago on June 8, she claimed: “Unemployment is at its lowest point in more than five years. More people are working in Illinois today than when the governor took office.” But that’s simply not true. While the unemployment rate in Illinois...

TAGS: Chicago, jobs, Pat Quinn, unemployment

Quinn reneging on ‘temporary’ tax hike cowardly, dishonest

By Jonathan Greenberg

04/03/2014

Gov. Pat Quinn began his recent op-ed in the Chicago Tribune with a couple of quotes. In that spirit, I’ll do the same. Cowardly Lion: “What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the ‘ape’ in apricot? What...

TAGS: income tax, Pat Quinn

Quinn’s 3 budget falsehoods

By Benjamin VanMetre

03/26/2014

In January 2011, Illinois politicians pushed through a record income tax increase that raised the income tax rate on individuals to 5 percent from 3 percent, and on corporations to 7 percent from 4.8 percent. After passing the record tax hike, Gov. Quinn went on record saying: “We have some temporary tax increases [falsehood number...

TAGS: income tax, Pat Quinn

Why Illinois’ Medicaid 1115 waiver is cause for concern

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

03/12/2014

This week, the governor’s office is scheduled to submit “The Path to Transformation: Illinois 1115 Waiver Proposal” to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If approved by the federal government, this proposal would overhaul the Illinois Medicaid program. The state would not only consolidate multiple health-care programs aimed at providing home and community-based...

TAGS: Medicaid, Pat Quinn

Illinois politicians considering changes to law under review by U.S. Supreme Court

By Paul Kersey

03/05/2014

The Illinois General Assembly is poised to consider a bill that looks harmless at first glance, but should be raising eyebrows across the state. House Bill 5935 is supposed to make technical changes to the state’s Medicaid programs, but in the process it affects people who are involved in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case....

TAGS: Harris v Quinn, labor, Medicaid, Pam Harris, Pat Quinn, U.S. Supreme Court

Quinn teams up with The Onion to pitch ObamaCare

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

02/11/2014

In an 11th hour enrollment push, Gov. Pat Quinn is teaming up with the folks who bring you the satirical news site, The Onion. The idea is to create an action figure banner ad campaign to encourage young people to sign up for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as...

TAGS: ACA: Affordable Care Act, Get Covered Illinois, Pat Quinn

Illinois borrowing penalty still three times higher than when Quinn took office

02/06/2014

It didn’t take long for Illinois’ spending machine to cram more debt down taxpayers’ throats. Only two months after signing a pension bill, Gov. Pat Quinn is borrowing yet another $1 billion to fund state construction projects. This will be the first large borrowing for Illinois since it passed Senate Bill 1, a pension fix...

TAGS: borrowing, capital project, debt, Pat Quinn, penalty borrowing rate, pensions

Gov. Quinn’s past State of the State addresses vs. reality

By Donovan Griffith

01/28/2014

This Wednesday, Gov. Pat Quinn will take the pulpit in front of the Illinois General Assembly and give his annual State of the State address. The speech, which is given annually by the standing governor, is an opportunity for the governor to give his view on the condition of the state, and how they envision...

TAGS: Pat Quinn, State of the State

Taxpayers to foot big bill for pointless legislator pay stunt

01/13/2014

In July, Gov. Pat Quinn used his line-item veto power to suspend Illinois legislators’ salaries, pledging to withhold their paychecks until they solved the state’s pension crisis. This predictably provoked a lawsuit by House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and other legislators. A Cook County Circuit Court judge then ruled in September that...

TAGS: lawmaker pay, Pat Quinn

Five reasons why Madigan’s pension fix is a step backward

11/29/2013

There’s immense pressure on Illinois legislators to pass a pension bill. With the state pension system nearing insolvency and credit agencies warning of further downgrades, the perceived wisdom is that any pension fix, no matter how small, is a “step forward” that must be passed. But when it comes to pension reform in Illinois, that...

TAGS: COLA: cost of living adjustment, Jim Edgar, Pat Quinn, pensions, retirement age

Pat Quinn

Chart of the week: Setting the record straight on employment under Quinn

Quinn reneging on ‘temporary’ tax hike cowardly, dishonest

Quinn’s 3 budget falsehoods

Why Illinois’ Medicaid 1115 waiver is cause for concern

Illinois politicians considering changes to law under review by U.S. Supreme Court

Quinn teams up with The Onion to pitch ObamaCare

Illinois borrowing penalty still three times higher than when Quinn took office

Gov. Quinn’s past State of the State addresses vs. reality

Taxpayers to foot big bill for pointless legislator pay stunt

Five reasons why Madigan’s pension fix is a step backward

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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