New taxes buy the Chicago Transit Authority some time, but state lawmakers failed fix anything that led to the crisis. Here are three ways city leaders can fix the CTA.
In Illinois, 99% of state bills passed by the Democratic supermajority become law with no objection by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Democracy suffers without checks and balances.
More than half of Illinois voters and one-third of Chicago voters said high taxes were their No. 1 concern. Despite that, Springfield and Chicago politicians both are hiking taxes again to spend more.
Illinois lawmakers passed a new plan to keep Chicago-area public transit running. The plan hikes sales taxes in the Chicago area but stops major service cuts for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace.
Chicago Public Schools students struggle in reading and math as just 2-in-5 read at grade level and about 1-in-4 do math proficiently. And that’s after Illinois lowered proficiency standards to make the numbers look better.
State lawmakers are rushing a first-in-the-world wealth tax on billionaires. They also want taxes on streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify and steep surcharges on concerts and ticketed events.
Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...