Chicago taxpayers’ money funneled to capital markets, professional advisers, according to ‘Bond Girl’

02/17/2016

Chicago taxpayers to pay a significant premium and fees in connection with the $725 million Chicago Public Schools borrowed on Feb. 3.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Full text: Gov. Bruce Rauner’s 2016 budget address

By illinoispolicy

02/17/2016

Full transcript of Governor Bruce Rauner’s 2016 budget address, as prepared for delivery to the General Assembly on Feb. 17, 2016.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner

Illinois corruption watch: January 2016

02/12/2016

In January several instances of corruption, influence peddling and mismanagement across Illinois were brought to light, from the College of DuPage’s expense-account mismanagement, to Chicago’s red-light-camera bribery case.

Chicago’s new cigarette tax will lead to more black-market sales and violence, alderman say

By Chris Lentino

02/09/2016

South and West Side aldermen believe that an increase in the tobacco tax will lead to an increase in black-market sales and violence. They're right.

TAGS: Chicago, cigarette tax, taxes

Springfield couldn’t bail out Chicago Public Schools even if it wanted to

By Ted Dabrowski

02/05/2016

State-run teacher pensions have a shortfall of $37,000 per student, while Chicago's shortfall totals $24,000.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education, pensions

Chicago teachers highest paid among nation’s 50 largest school districts

By Amy Korte

02/05/2016

Among the U.S.’ 50 largest school districts, CPS teachers’ pay ranks No. 1 for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and five years’ experience, No. 2 for first-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree, and No. 3 for first-year teachers with a master’s degree.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools sells $725M in bonds with 8.5% interest rate

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

The district’s borrowing does take pressure off of the district’s immediate cash-flow problem. However, it does nothing to solve the CPS’ long-term financial crisis and its structural imbalances – in fact it only makes things worse.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, credit rating, education

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

The crisis threatens to burden taxpayers with massive, ever-escalating taxes to bail out a system that is not sustainable – government-worker pensions consume a fourth of the state’s budget.

Emanuel promises another Chicago property-tax hike

By Austin Berg

02/03/2016

Mere months after passing the largest tax hike in modern Chicago history, Mayor Rahm Emanuel vows to hit residents with even higher property-tax bills, this time to bail out pension mismanagement by Chicago Public Schools officials – behavior tacitly endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union.

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

Steps and lanes: Understanding how Chicago public school teachers get multiple pay raises each year

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

Chicago teachers’ salaries are based on a complex and convoluted system that has provided teachers with annual pay increases well in excess of the 2.75 to 3 percent raises proposed by the district.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools

Chicago taxpayers’ money funneled to capital markets, professional advisers, according to ‘Bond Girl’

Full text: Gov. Bruce Rauner’s 2016 budget address

Illinois corruption watch: January 2016

Chicago’s new cigarette tax will lead to more black-market sales and violence, alderman say

Springfield couldn’t bail out Chicago Public Schools even if it wanted to

Chicago teachers highest paid among nation’s 50 largest school districts

Chicago Public Schools sells $725M in bonds with 8.5% interest rate

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

Emanuel promises another Chicago property-tax hike

Steps and lanes: Understanding how Chicago public school teachers get multiple pay raises each year

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