Chicago

Illinois and Chicago riddled with bad economic policy

By Justin Hegy
09/18/2013
Illinois and Chicago are riddled with many regulations, laws and licensing requirements that are unnecessary and anti-growth in nature. Politicians often claim to pass these laws in pursuit of a favorable business climate; but the result is often the opposite. Illinois’ economy is struggling. The state has the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation at 9.2...

Philadelphia and Chicago public schools’ experiencing similar fates

09/18/2013
The Philadelphia and Chicago school systems are both in trouble. Decades of mismanagement have left both districts in financial free-fall. Philadelphia has a $304 million deficit. It has already taken some steps to address it – closing 24 schools this summer and laying off more than 4,000 employees, including almost 700 teachers. District leaders tried...

The hidden bill: Chicago taxpayers and the looming crisis

By Benjamin VanMetre
09/17/2013
The city of Chicago has long been regarded as an economic engine of the Midwest. It is home to some of the country’s largest industries and more than 30 of the nation’s Fortune 500 companies. Chicago is accessible by road, rail and water, and is located in a state that boasts an abundance of natural...

Chicago only major U.S. city without term limits; Illinois one of 11 states without term limits

By Brian Costin
09/17/2013
Term limits are a foreign concept to most Illinoisans. There are no term limit provisions governing our state legislature or constitutional officers. At least 39 other states have some form of term limits that apply to either state legislators or constitutional officers. Only a few municipalities in Illinois, such as Downers Grove, have any formal term-limits policy. But...

TAGS: Chicago, Committee for Legislative Reform and Term Limits, Mike Madigan, term limits

Illinois state government wastes hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars

By Benjamin VanMetre
09/17/2013
Illinois spending is packed with waste. Nearly 200 examples of wasteful government spending in Illinois, totaling more than $354 million, is detailed in the “The 2012 Illinois Piglet Book,” a report compiled by the Illinois Policy Institute in a partnership with Washington, D.C.-based Citizens Against Government Waste. Each item highlights the decisions of politicians who...

Illinois and Chicago’s pattern of cronyism and corporate handouts

By Justin Hegy
09/17/2013
Instead of creating a business-friendly environment by keeping taxes and regulations low, Illinois state government and the city of Chicago have a laundry list of special tools they claim promote economic development. These tools include: tax increment financing, or TIF, districts; economic grants; and a series of loopholes in the tax code. When government gives...

TAGS: cronyism

National gas prices average $3 or more for 1,000th straight day

By Hilary Gowins
09/17/2013
Today marks the 1,000th day in a row the national average price for a gallon of gas was $3 or more. And AAA forecasts the national average will remain above $3 per gallon for at least another thousand days barring a major economic recession. “Paying less than $3 per gallon for gasoline may be automotive history for...

Illinois Department of Corrections declares a “hot dog seasoning emergency”

By Brian Costin
09/14/2013
Here’s the traditional Chicago-style hot dog recipe: 1 all-beef hot dog 1 poppy seed hot dog bun 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 tablespoon sweet green pickle relish 1 tablespoon chopped onion 4 tomato wedges 1 dill pickle spear 2 sport peppers 1 dash celery salt Sounds good, doesn’t it? But if someone skipped the celery...

It’s time for Illinois politicians to embrace school choice

By Chris Andriesen
09/13/2013
Kyle Olson Publisher, Founder and CEO EAGnews.org America is supposed to be about freedom. One of the founding principles of our country is that we are naturally endowed with the inalienable right to choose how we want to live our lives. We drive the cars we want. We shop where we want. We live where...

Chicago: highest gas prices of any major U.S. metro area

By Hilary Gowins
09/10/2013
Chicago has the highest gas prices of any major metropolitan area in the United States. A gallon of gas is now $4.06 on average in Chicago; the national average is $3.56. Though outside factors influence the raw price of gas, one of the reasons Chicago’s prices are consistently among the most expensive in the nation is the additional...

TAGS: gas tax

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FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

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...

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016