Building not permitted: Building permits in Illinois are a barrier to housing affordability

By Joe Tabor

09/26/2024

Published Sept. 26, 2024 Illinois is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. Over a third of residents are considered “burdened” by housing costs, meaning they pay over 30% of their income on costs related to housing. That is a greater portion of residents burdened by housing than any other state in the Midwest....

Regulatory reform can make housing more affordable for Illinois families  

By Josh Bandoch, Joe Tabor

07/09/2024

Published July 9, 2024 America is facing a housing affordability crisis. According to a 2022 survey, 73% of Americans said the average person could not afford a home in their area, and 69% were worried about their children and grandchildren being able to afford a home. That’s unfair. Everyone deserves a good roof over their...

Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago’s poor: A model for America’s cities

By Josh Bandoch

01/25/2024

Published Jan. 25, 2024

Vallas: Call Johnson’s real estate transfer tax what it really is: a commercial property tax

By Paul Vallas

09/29/2023

Brandon Johnson’s ‘Bring Chicago Home’ transaction tax is primarily a tax on the already overburdened and depressed commercial property owners.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson

3 problems with Lightfoot’s Chicago budget, starting with an unnecessary property tax hike

By Adam Schuster

10/01/2021

The mayor’s Chicago budget plan includes a $76.5 million property tax hike despite $3.5 billion in federal aid and funds permanent programs with temporary revenues but includes no push to fix pensions.

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

By Adam Schuster

08/26/2020

Decades of institutionalized financial mismanagement left Illinois with the nation’s worst fiscal health. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been at the center of nearly every bad decision along the way.

Pritzker ‘fair tax’ would cost typical Illinois family $3,500, cost state economy 286,000 jobs

By Adam Schuster, Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

03/10/2019

Not only would a progressive income tax hike end up taking more money directly from all taxpayers’ pockets, but it would also have negative economic effects on jobs growth, after-tax income adjusted for cost of living, and overall economic output.

Budget Solutions 2020: A 5-year plan to balance Illinois’ budget, pay off debt and cut taxes

By Adam Schuster

02/04/2019

Gov. J.B. Pritzker inherited a $2.8 billion budget deficit the moment he stepped into office. Next year, that deficit is projected to be $3.4 billion1. It’s the same story every budget season. But Illinois’ budget crises could be a thing of the past if the state would adopt pension reform, right-size its union contracts and...

Pritzker price tag: Candidate’s spending promises require doubling state income tax

By Adam Schuster, Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

10/15/2018

While J.B. Pritzker has not released a detailed tax plan of his own, reasonable cost estimates suggest the tax hike required to pay for the candidate’s spending promises would require doubling Illinois’ state income tax rate and cost the state an estimated 132,000 jobs and $31.3 billion in forgone GDP.

Puzzled by property taxes: Improving transparency and fairness in Illinois’ assessment system

By Amy Korte

07/19/2018

Illinois should take steps toward more accurate and frequent property assessments to ensure the tax burden is distributed as fairly as possible.

Crain's Chicago Business

Building not permitted: Building permits in Illinois are a barrier to housing affordability

Regulatory reform can make housing more affordable for Illinois families

Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago’s poor: A model for America’s cities

Vallas: Call Johnson’s real estate transfer tax what it really is: a commercial property tax

3 problems with Lightfoot’s Chicago budget, starting with an unnecessary property tax hike

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

Pritzker ‘fair tax’ would cost typical Illinois family $3,500, cost state economy 286,000 jobs

Budget Solutions 2020: A 5-year plan to balance Illinois’ budget, pay off debt and cut taxes

Pritzker price tag: Candidate’s spending promises require doubling state income tax

Puzzled by property taxes: Improving transparency and fairness in Illinois’ assessment system

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

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