Chicagoans know new revenues won’t be used to pay for better roads, classrooms or public safety – these tax hikes won’t even fix what’s ailing the city’s bottom line.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, ecigs, fees, Lyft, outmigration, property taxes, Rahm Emanuel, rideshare, Uber

Four factors that created the CPS pension crisis

By Ted Dabrowski

09/08/2015

How Illinois politicians turned what was meant to provide government workers with retirement security into a political slush fund.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, Rahm Emanuel

Rahm calls for the largest property tax hike in modern Chicago history

By Ted Dabrowski

09/03/2015

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls for property-tax hikes, garbage-collection fees and ridesharing surcharges as a stop-gap measure to plug the city’s $750 million budget hole.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, fees, Rahm Emanuel

Oportunidad: Student success, Hispanic achievement gaps and the future of Illinois

By Ted Dabrowski

08/30/2015

The achievement gaps between white and Hispanic students in Illinois’ public schools, and the need to fundamentally reform the education system.

All three major credit rating agencies declare CPS bonds ‘junk’ grade

By John Klingner

08/17/2015

Another credit downgrade for the Chicago Board of Education’s debt demonstrates the urgency of immediate fiscal reforms.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, credit rating

CPS to ask employees to contribute their fair share to their pensions

By Ted Dabrowski

08/12/2015

Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool calls for an end to “pickups” of employee pension contributions, which would save the cash-strapped district $174 million a year.

Chicago Public Schools

Rauner speaks out on the fallacy of ‘extreme’ reforms

CPS pensions: From retirement security to political slush fund

Chicago tax collector hath arrived with massive tax hike

Rahm’s budget plan phases in $2.5 billion in new taxes and fees over 4 years

Rahm calls for largest property tax hike in modern Chicago history

Four factors that created the CPS pension crisis

Rahm calls for the largest property tax hike in modern Chicago history

Oportunidad: Student success, Hispanic achievement gaps and the future of Illinois

All three major credit rating agencies declare CPS bonds ‘junk’ grade

CPS to ask employees to contribute their fair share to their pensions

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

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