Corruption watch: March 2015

By Shawn Tonge

04/08/2015

April showers bring May flowers, but all March gave us was 53 new corruption stories in Illinois.

TAGS: good government

Chicago’s pitch to pay down $32B in unfunded pension debt: A casino, state money for CPS and a pass on pension payments

By Benjamin VanMetre

03/19/2015

None of these proposals would even begin to address the Chicago’s pension crisis. The city needs reform, not revenue.

TAGS: Chicago, debt, pensions

Corruption Watch: January 2015

By Shawn Tonge

02/11/2015

The start of a new year always comes with resolutions for improvement, but only time will tell if they translate into effective action.

TAGS: good government

State of the state: 10 facts you need to know about public education in IL

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2015

High levels of spending and a one-size-fits-all educational system have not been able to boost student achievement in Illinois.

TAGS: education

Illinois Supreme Court rejects briefs from pension-reform supporters

01/23/2015

Given the importance of pension reform in Illinois, many groups wanted to weigh in.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, pensions

Illinois Corruption Watch: December 2014

By Brian Costin

01/16/2015

The residential-center horror stories demonstrate that corruption in government often hurts the most vulnerable among us. It also shows that exposing those injustices can lead to change.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, good government

Illinois Corruption Watch: November 2014

By Brian Costin

12/07/2014

In November, 13 of 53 Corruption Watch stories were related to policies and actions of criminal-justice authorities in Illinois.

TAGS: Chicago

Waukegan strike shows need for labor law reform

By Paul Kersey

10/24/2014

Waukegan Public Schools have been closed for more than three weeks because of a teacher strike called by the Lake County Federation of Teachers. At this point, the acrimony between the union and the administration must be severe; and the children who attend the district’s schools, along with a lot of teachers, are stuck in...

TAGS: labor, Lake County Federation of Teachers, strike, unions

Top 10 facts on labor policy in Illinois

10/20/2014

Top 10 facts on labor policy in Illinois Unions are often presented as the plucky defenders of the working man or woman, whose only interest is seeing that workers get a fair shake on the job. But in reality, unions are well financed and powerful. And in government, at least, union influence goes beyond the...

Illinois court rules state owes AFSCME workers

By Paul Kersey

10/02/2014

On Sept. 31, a panel of judges from an Illinois appellate court found that state employees were owed back pay under the contract between the state and Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME. This has set off celebrations at AFSCME, whose position all along was that the...

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Chicago, labor

Chicago Public Schools

Corruption watch: March 2015

Chicago’s pitch to pay down $32B in unfunded pension debt: A casino, state money for CPS and a pass on pension payments

Corruption Watch: January 2015

State of the state: 10 facts you need to know about public education in IL

Illinois Supreme Court rejects briefs from pension-reform supporters

Illinois Corruption Watch: December 2014

Illinois Corruption Watch: November 2014

Waukegan strike shows need for labor law reform

Top 10 facts on labor policy in Illinois

Illinois court rules state owes AFSCME workers

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