New IRS data show heavy drain of residents and income from Cook County

By Austin Berg

08/03/2015

Cook County said goodbye to nearly 10,000 more taxpayers than it welcomed in tax year 2011.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, outmigration

Chicago and Detroit: Trading places?

By Ted Dabrowski

07/30/2015

As Chicago slides toward insolvency, the Motor City is trending upward.

TAGS: Chicago, credit rating, Detroit

Chicago set to make ‘chilling’ change to city ethics rules

By Austin Berg

07/28/2015

The proposed change in city code would further tilt the scales in favor of the politically powerful, as they could be granted full knowledge regarding the investigation on their wrongdoing, including information on who brought the case to light.

Trashed again: Fitch joins Moody’s in declaring Chicago Board of Education credit ‘junk’

By John Klingner

07/28/2015

If the district can’t get its finances in order, expect more teacher layoffs, school closings and large tax increases on Chicagoans.

Don’t hold your breath, Springfield stoppage could last until 2016

By Lara Forsythe

07/25/2015

Political incentives to come to an agreement are few and far between.

Chicago pension reform ruled unconstitutional

By Ted Dabrowski

07/24/2015

The Illinois Supreme Court’s precedent has made it impossible for Chicago to stave off bankruptcy by making even the most meager reforms to government-worker pensions.

Hidden bill: Chicago taxpayers and the Windy City crisis

By Ted Dabrowski

07/21/2015

Each Chicago household is on the hook for more than $63,800 in future tax bills – much of it for services already rendered.

TAGS: sales tax

Illinois’ regional pain points revealed in county data on food-stamp dependency

By Michael Lucci

07/20/2015

Areas of Illinois that are driven by backbone industries such as manufacturing are being hollowed out. That reality is showing up in the form of government dependence.

TAGS: food stamps

Judges split on state-worker pay in absence of balanced budget

By Jeffrey Schwab

07/19/2015

UPDATED JULY 19: It’s almost inevitable that the state will violate either the Fair Labor Standards Act or the Illinois Constitution

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, budget, David McSweeney, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois Supreme Court, John Cullerton, Lisa Madigan, Mike Madigan

Growing tax burden will push people out of Cook County and Chicago

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

07/15/2015

City officials are pushing property-tax hikes, sales-tax hikes, and even a commuter tax and financial-transaction tax.

TAGS: sales tax

Cook County

New IRS data show heavy drain of residents and income from Cook County

Chicago and Detroit: Trading places?

Chicago set to make ‘chilling’ change to city ethics rules

Trashed again: Fitch joins Moody’s in declaring Chicago Board of Education credit ‘junk’

Don’t hold your breath, Springfield stoppage could last until 2016

Chicago pension reform ruled unconstitutional

Hidden bill: Chicago taxpayers and the Windy City crisis

Illinois’ regional pain points revealed in county data on food-stamp dependency

Judges split on state-worker pay in absence of balanced budget

Growing tax burden will push people out of Cook County and Chicago

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