Chicago

Unchartered territory: Downstate and suburban families lack school alternatives

By Ted Dabrowski
05/10/2012
The Problem Illinois has fallen behind its neighbors in offering alternatives to students outside major population centers. All children deserve the chance at a brighter future with schools that work best for them. Where choice in education is available, parents respond. Most downstate and suburban parents have few alternatives to their local public schools. A...

Playing favorites: Education pension spending favors wealthy, suburban schools

By Collin Hitt
05/02/2012
The problem State education funding is designed to ensure a base amount of money is available to every student in Illinois. To that end, the state strives to send more money to poor districts and less money to districts with a healthy property tax base. But a bird’s eye view of Illinois education spending reveals...

More than 1,000 students rally for charter schools in Springfield

By Chris Andriesen
04/26/2012
by Michael Wille Last week, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools hosted its annual “Have Your Say Day” at the Capitol. More than 1,000 students from across Chicago boarded buses at Soldier Field and traveled to Springfield to rallyand meet with legislators. Their demands? Simple. Support HB 5225, which provides equal funding for charter schools across the...

Gov. Quinn’s plan for Medicaid: hike taxes and cut access to care

By Jonathan Ingram
04/19/2012
Moments ago, Gov. Quinn released his plan to cut Medicaid spending by $2.7 billion. So what does that plan actually look like? It looks like a tax hike coupled with even worse access to care for the poor. Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Patti Bellock have both voiced opposition to the Governor’s plan, and the Medicaid working...

Cigarette taxes can’t fix Medicaid

By Jonathan Ingram
04/16/2012
It looks like Gov. Quinn may be pinning his hopes of finding Medicaid savings by raising cigarette taxes. This isn’t the first time Gov. Quinn has floated his $1-per-pack tax hike on cigarettes. So I was glad to see that Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Patti Bellock, members of the Medicaid reform working group, have voiced their opposition to...

What are you paying for at the pump?

04/03/2012
As Illinois motorists shell out more and more for the rising cost of gas, many people want to know: what am I paying for? In Illinois, especially in Chicago and Cook County, drivers may be surprised to find out that they’re paying significantly more in taxes on gas than drivers do in other states. At...