People who support popular opinions have little to lose from having their support for those ideas known. It’s the people who are challenging the status quo – like the NAACP during the civil-rights movement – who have to be concerned about harassment and retaliation for their views.
If retiree health benefits remain unchanged, Illinois taxpayers will foot the bill for an estimated $1 billion through 2035 in Cadillac taxes on retiree health-insurance plans alone.
State lawmakers and the city of Chicago owe taxpayers an honest assessment. It's a sad state of affairs when we have to get that assessment from a bond guru in Kentucky.
Local governments should structure themselves in a way that best meets the needs of their budget, taxpayers and public employees. And the state should give them the power to do so.
Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...