Recap: 1 year of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, watch out in Year 2

By Dylan Sharkey

05/15/2024

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson took office on May 15, 2023. One year later, none of the $800 million in new taxes have passed. But expect a big taxpayer impact during his second year: he’s negotiating a contract with his former employer, the Chicago Teachers Union.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson

Vallas: Mayor Johnson’s 1st year delivers the mayhem he promised

By Paul Vallas

05/14/2024

Mayor Brandon Johnson hits the one-year mark May 15, showing voters he is exactly who he said he was. That’s turning out to be bad for Chicago. Here’s how.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson, Chicago

Vallas: Police overtime shows defunding police doesn’t work

By Paul Vallas

03/15/2024

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s strategy for defunding the police doesn’t save money and makes Chicago less safe. Overtime is up, violent crime is up, arrests are down.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department

Vallas: Fixing 4 myths about Chicago’s gunshot detection technology

By Paul Vallas

02/16/2024

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is pulling the plug on the city’s gunshot detection system in a bow to his “defund the police” allies. But his decision is based on four false criticisms of the ShotSpotter technology. Here are the facts.

TAGS: Chicago, ShotSpotter

Illinois politicians want extra $25M for Democratic National Convention security in Chicago

By Dylan Sharkey

05/03/2023

Illinois’ congressional Democrats asked for an additional $25 million to pay for security at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Host cities typically receive $50 million.

TAGS: DNC: Democratic National Convention

Pritzker calls for campaign finance reform after spending $323M on campaigns

By Dylan Sharkey

05/01/2023

Gov. J.B. Pritzker told Harvard students self-financing political campaigns isn’t the answer, calling for campaign finance reform. Pritzker self-financed both of his gubernatorial campaigns for a total of $323 million.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Madigan continues to mislead about what’s hurting middle-class wage growth in Illinois

By Michael Lucci

08/08/2016

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan criticizes Gov. Bruce Rauner’s economic reform ideas and offers only growth-killing tax hikes for Illinoisans in need of better jobs and income.

TAGS: household income, jobs, Mike Madigan, personal income

Madigan’s middle-class myth

By Austin Berg

08/04/2016

Less than half of Illinois households are defined as middle class.

TAGS: household income, income tax, middle class, Mike Madigan, taxes

Illinois’ stopgap budget spends $8B more than the state takes in

By Ted Dabrowski, Craig Lesner

08/02/2016

Under the stopgap budget, Illinois will spend $8 billion more than it collects in tax revenues; Illinois needs to enact major reforms to rein in its out-of-control spending and avoid billions in tax hikes.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, budget, Mike Madigan

“We are Democrats”

By Paul Kersey

09/07/2012

This will hardly come as news to most readers of this blog, but an occasional reminder is still useful: the ties between unions and the Democratic Party are numerous and strong. That goes for the Chicago Teachers Union and the administration with which they are bargaining. As Randi Weingarten, the head of the CTU’s parent...

Democratic National Convention

Recap: 1 year of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, watch out in Year 2

Vallas: Mayor Johnson’s 1st year delivers the mayhem he promised

Vallas: Police overtime shows defunding police doesn’t work

Vallas: Fixing 4 myths about Chicago’s gunshot detection technology

Illinois politicians want extra $25M for Democratic National Convention security in Chicago

Pritzker calls for campaign finance reform after spending $323M on campaigns

Madigan continues to mislead about what’s hurting middle-class wage growth in Illinois

Madigan’s middle-class myth

Illinois’ stopgap budget spends $8B more than the state takes in

“We are Democrats”

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

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