Government-union demands hurt taxpayers

By Mailee Smith

05/24/2016

Illinois government-worker unions demand pay that outstrips that of Illinois private-sector workers and propose numerous tax hikes to fund their contract demands.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees

CPS, CTU want to create new taxing districts to raise $100 million from taxpayers

By Chris Lentino

05/12/2016

Creating new special service areas for the sole benefit of Chicago Public Schools would mean hitting homeowners with an additional $100 million in taxes.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Labor board finds CTU’s April 1 strike likely illegal

By Jeffrey Schwab

04/27/2016

The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board determined there is enough evidence of the illegality of CTU’s April 1 walkout for CPS to pursue a court order to prevent CTU from waging any similar strikes.

TAGS: Chicago, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education

Illinois school district consolidation provides path to efficiency, lower tax burdens

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

04/22/2016

Nearly 25 percent of Illinois school districts serve just one school, and over one-third of all school districts have fewer than 600 students.

Rahm plans to borrow $1.2 billion to construct Lucas museum

04/19/2016

The mayor’s plan to construct the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art includes more of the same bad policies that got Chicago into its fiscal crisis: a bid to borrow $1.2 billion and hike taxes on residents.

TAGS: Chicago

Chicago students receive more state funding than the average Illinois student

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

04/07/2016

Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool has claimed that Chicago students are discriminated against under the state's education funding formula. But the numbers show the opposite: Chicago has received more than its fair share of education funding from the state.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

What’s driving Illinois’ $111 billion pension crisis

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

04/07/2016

Retirement ages, COLAs and out-of-sync pension payouts

Illinois corruption watch: March 2016

04/04/2016

Several instances of corruption and mismanagement of public property and trust came to light in March and included new developments in cases involving Chicago Public Schools’ former CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

TAGS: corruption

Chicago’s new TIF district would siphon millions of property-tax dollars into city slush fund

By Chris Lentino

04/01/2016

Creating a tax increment financing district around the Lathrop Homes redevelopment will ensure that 100 percent of property-tax revenue generated on the site will go to a city-run slush fund.

TAGS: TIF: Tax Increment Financing

CPS files charges against CTU for ‘illegal’ strike

By Jeffrey Schwab

04/01/2016

The union’s one-day strike is an illegal, aggressive political power play, and its attempt to coerce its members to participate violates its own constitution. Here’s a breakdown of the timeline, the law and the political statement the union is making.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education, Karen Lewis

Chicago Public Schools

Government-union demands hurt taxpayers

CPS, CTU want to create new taxing districts to raise $100 million from taxpayers

Labor board finds CTU’s April 1 strike likely illegal

Illinois school district consolidation provides path to efficiency, lower tax burdens

Rahm plans to borrow $1.2 billion to construct Lucas museum

Chicago students receive more state funding than the average Illinois student

What’s driving Illinois’ $111 billion pension crisis

Illinois corruption watch: March 2016

Chicago’s new TIF district would siphon millions of property-tax dollars into city slush fund

CPS files charges against CTU for ‘illegal’ strike

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

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