Chicago

Things you think are treats but really are tricks

10/27/2011
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson This time of year, children go door-to-door dressed in costumes to ask their neighbors for treats. Throughout the year, governments at the federal, state and local level provide services and programs that many look upon as treats. But considering the cost and inefficiency of some of these programs and services, are these...

Rahm’s First Budget Address

10/13/2011
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Yesterday, Chicago’s new mayor, Rahm Emanuel, released his first budget proposal. In his prepared budget address, he acknowledged that Chicago’s history of unbalanced budgets could not continue, and he recognized that “What we cannot do, however, is to protect the status quo by asking more of Chicago’s taxpayers. Raising taxes will drive more people...

Charter High Schools Deliver: When Given the Chance, Chicago Students Can Compete

By Collin Hitt
09/30/2011
The Problem Chicago high schools have long held a tragic reputation. For years, district-wide dropout rates have hovered near 50 percent. High school test scores remain low. Only a relative few students have been able to attend selective schools, where seats are reserved for students with exceptional records in elementary school. Now, a new group...

Nation’s Highest Spike in Unemployment Seen in Illinois Metro Division

09/28/2011
by Emily Dietrich Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the majority of U.S. metropolitan areas decreased their unemployment rate from last year. Unfortunately for the largest metropolitan division in Illinois – Chicago-Joliet-Naperville – this was not the case. With unemployment spiking 0.7 percentage points from a year earlier, Chicago-Joliet-Naperville experienced the largest unemployment rate increase...

CPS Votes to Put Students First, Lengthen School Day

09/21/2011
by Michael Wille With the CPS graduation rate hovering around 55%, you would think that teachers would be supportive of giving kids more time in the classroom.  After all, according to a new website started by CPS to promote the longer school day, 14 of 15 studies have confirmed positive results between lengthening time in the classroom...

Food Trucks Could Heat up Job Creation

09/06/2011
by Emily Dietrich After Illinois lost almost 25,000 jobs in July, lawmakers should do everything in their power to unleash entrepreneurs. Instead of stifling job creators with onerous laws, entrepreneurs should be released into the marketplace to compete, innovate, and create jobs. The Institute of Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship’s new grassroots campaign My Streets! My Eats! recently spotlighted...

Taxed on Shipping

09/02/2011
by Kristina Rasmussen The next time you make a major purchase online, keep your eye on the tax bill. Thanks to a little-known aspect of Illinois’s tax code, shipping charges may be subject to sales taxes. That’s right, you could be getting taxed on shipping. Today’s Chicago Tribune highlights how sales taxes must be applied on shipping fees above...

Obama’s Rules Cost Illinois Jobs

09/01/2011
by Emily Dietrich Should the government tell you what to eat? When to eat? Or how much to eat? What about if it cost jobs? What if you lost your job because the government regulated who-could-eat-what? U.S. Representative Peter Roskam predicts Illinois families will be facing this exact situation. In The Chicago Sun-Times, he writes: “Illinois-based...

Failing Chicago Students Still Receive State Aid

08/15/2011
by Michael Wille On Thursday, a state Senator provided further evidence of the state’s inability to manage its education dollars.  A hearing revealed last week that students with failing grades at Chicago State University continued to receive educational assistance dollars.  Senator Edward Maloney indicated the following: Maloney, who requested state financial aid information after the Tribune report,...

Are We There Yet?

08/04/2011
by Aon Hussain Earlier this year, the Texas Transportation Institute measured traffic congestion across America. Their results found that Chicago has the most debilitating amount of traffic congestion in the entire country. The problem isn’t just local. In total, congestion cost the entire country almost $115 billion, forced travelers to sit behind the wheel 4.8 billion hours...
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4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

Causes, costs, how to set the state free

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Diana Graham

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By Paul Kersey
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