Report: Illinois families average $331 in cellphone taxes, highest rate in nation

By Vincent Caruso

12/14/2018

Cellphone taxes increased nationwide – and Illinois moved up to be the top taxer. Add another $157 in tax on Chicagoans’ wireless bills.

TAGS: sales tax, taxes, wireless tax

Holiday shopping and the sales tax scrooge

By Austin Berg

12/13/2018

Illinois' current patchwork of sales tax exemptions, oftentimes carved out by special interests, makes for poor policy.

TAGS: sales tax, taxes

Rahm to Springfield: State gas tax needs to at least double

By Vincent Caruso

12/11/2018

Departing Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel accelerated calls to boost Illinois’ gas tax to pay for local transportation projects.

TAGS: Chicago, gas tax, JB Pritzker, Rahm Emanuel, taxes, transportation, VMT: vehicle miles traveled

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel endorses pension amendment to Illinois Constitution

By Adam Schuster

12/11/2018

Outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel is publicly pushing for a constitutional amendment to the state’s pension clause. Pension reform is the only way to combat rising property taxes and prevent further budget chaos in Illinois state and local governments.

TAGS: Chicago, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, Rahm Emanuel, taxes

Seal-Rite Door exits Rockford for Wisconsin

By Vincent Caruso

12/11/2018

Seal-Rite’s doors are hardly the first to close in Illinois and reopen in the Badger State.

TAGS: outmigration, pensions, property taxes, rockford, taxes, workers compensation

Fitch warns against CTBA’s reckless pension plan

By Adam Schuster

12/11/2018

Fitch Ratings has issued a warning about a pension plan pushed by one Illinois think tank, which includes no reform and would harm the state’s credit rating. The response from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability proves how indefensible the plan really is.

TAGS: CTBA: Center for Budget and Tax Accountability, Fitch Ratings, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, taxes

More than 70 Belleville-area school retirees are pension millionaires

By Vincent Caruso

12/10/2018

Pension payouts collected by the Belleville area’s top-earning school retirees underscore the need to reform Illinois’ unaffordable pension system.

TAGS: Belleville, Belleville School District 118, Belleville Township School District 201, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, St. Clair County, taxes

Steel manufacturer shutters Illinois plant, takes 100 jobs to Indiana

By Janelle Cammenga

12/08/2018

Alliance Steel Corp. will move 100 jobs to Gary, Indiana, with plans to add 30 more.

TAGS: manufacturing, outmigration, property taxes, taxes, workers compensation

Carterville passes largest property tax hike in city history to pay for pensions

By Vincent Caruso

12/06/2018

Pension costs now consume nearly 70 percent of the city’s annual property tax levy. It may not be enough.

TAGS: municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, taxes

Chicago anticipated to be nation’s weakest major housing market in 2019

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

12/06/2018

A study by realtor.com ranks the Chicago region’s housing market slowest of 100 U.S. metro areas for 2019. That stat could be fixed, or made worse.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, home price index, housing, property taxes, taxes