Red-light cameras a case study in Chicago corruption, waste and failure

By Austin Berg

07/21/2014

Chicago has the most red-light cameras of any city in the country. Since 2003, the city’s 352 cameras have levied nearly half a billion dollars in fines. These cameras are sold to the public as a way to promote traffic safety, but the real outcome of the city’s program has been to grift lawful drivers...

TAGS: Chicago, corruption, cronyism, red light cameras, Redflex Traffic Systems, waste

How union leaders have added to the VA crisis

By Paul Kersey

05/30/2014

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, is coming under fire for providing poor care to veterans who rely on it. Wait lists for essential medical procedures have extended for months, and veterans of the armed forces have lost their lives as a result. Administrators at VA hospitals have made matters worse by faking...

Poor policy decisions continue to sap Illinois’ economic activity

02/28/2013

In the game of state competitiveness, Illinois lags the nation. Poor policy decisions continue to sap economic activity and ruin opportunities for businesses operating in Illinois.

TAGS: progressive income tax

Chicago has second highest taxes on meals in restaurants

03/29/2012

Ever notice that going out to eat seems more expensive in Chicago than other cities? One of the reasons is that on top of the very high sales tax in Chicago, there are additional taxes on meals in restaurants: 0.25 percent Chicago restaurant tax and 1.0 percent Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) food and...

Daily Must Reads for the week of March 5

03/09/2012

Must Reads for March 5

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

View Report

Baltimore

Red-light cameras a case study in Chicago corruption, waste and failure

How union leaders have added to the VA crisis

Poor policy decisions continue to sap Illinois’ economic activity

Chicago has second highest taxes on meals in restaurants

Daily Must Reads for the week of March 5

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

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