Amendment 1 will cost typical St. Clair County homeowner $834

By Bryce Hill

06/20/2022

See how much more you can expect to pay in property taxes unless voters reject the first question atop Illinois’ ballot Nov. 8.

TAGS: Amendment 1, St. Clair County

$119.5M later, Southern Illinois taxpayers still trying to get airport off ground

By Brad Weisenstein

09/27/2021

An underused airport near Belleville, Illinois, has required local taxpayers to chip in $119.5 million since 2002 to keep it operating. Even with pandemic money, 2020 was even worse.

TAGS: MidAmerica Airport, property taxes, St. Clair County

Taxpayer tab totals $111.3M to keep Southwestern Illinois airport open

By Brad Weisenstein

08/28/2020

Each year St. Clair County taxpayers must add money to keep MidAmerica St. Louis Airport open. COVID-19 could turn a hefty financial burden into an albatross.

TAGS: MidAmerica Airport, St. Clair County, waste

Pritzker claims statewide economic growth, but these Illinois metro areas are shedding jobs

By Bryce Hill

02/10/2020

Despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker touting growth in “every major region,” Illinois shed jobs in three metropolitan areas and lagged the national average in seven more.

TAGS: Bloomington, BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, budget, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, constitutional amendment, economic competitiveness, economic growth, economics, economy, employment, fair tax, flat tax, government spending, graduated income tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, income growth, JB Pritzker, job creation, jobs, labor, Madison County, metro areas, Metro East, Moline, pensions, Peoria, population, progressive income tax, recession, Rockford, spending, spending cap, Springfield, St. Clair County, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, unemployment, Urbana, working-age

St. Clair County home values down 23%, property taxes up 5% since recession

By Brad Weisenstein

09/16/2019

Without true pension reform, St. Clair County homeowners will only continue to see the gap between their property taxes and home values grow.

TAGS: municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, St. Clair County, taxes

Taxpayer support for southwestern Illinois airport hits $104.3 million

By Brad Weisenstein

08/30/2019

Each year St. Clair County, Illinois, taxpayers must add money to keep MidAmerica St. Louis Airport open. While passenger traffic is increasing, so are expenses.

TAGS: budget, MidAmerica Airport, St. Clair County

Pension costs push Metro East property taxes up, as population shrinks

06/17/2019

Residents in Illinois’ Metro East area are fleeing a growing property tax burden, fueling regional population loss.

TAGS: Madison County, Metro East, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, St. Clair County, taxes

Southwestern Illinois loses big chunk of population, with one exception

By Brad Weisenstein

04/25/2019

One Illinois county in the greater St. Louis area is losing so many residents it ranks No. 5 nationwide for population loss. Its neighboring county was one of the few in Illinois to grow.

TAGS: Madison County, Metro East, Monroe County, outmigration, population, St. Clair County

Pritzker ‘fair’ tax could cost typical St. Clair County family nearly $400

By Joe Kaiser

02/28/2019

Gov. J.B. Pritzker claims his progressive income tax will only affect the rich. But Illinoisans making as little as $26,100 would see an income tax hike under rates Pritzker cited in his budget address.

TAGS: income tax, JB Pritzker, progressive income tax, St. Clair County, taxes

If Illinois hikes gas tax, expect more drivers to buy across state lines

By Brad Weisenstein

01/14/2019

Illinois already taxes 20 cents more per gallon of gasoline than Missouri. If state lawmakers add another 30 cents per gallon, expect an exodus of southwestern Illinois drivers buying gas and more in St. Louis.

TAGS: gas tax, property taxes, St. Clair County

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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Symara Moses

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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