Illinois has 63,000 government workers making over $100K

07/27/2017

High-priced government workers cost taxpayers in Illinois $10 billion a year, with municipal managers in areas surrounding Chicago reaping the most benefits.

TAGS: Chicago, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, LGDF: Local Government Distributive Fund, McHenry County, municipal government, Will County

Fact-checking Rahm: Mayor deflects attention as Chicago shrinks

By Madelyn Harwood

06/03/2017

Despite Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s spin, residents are fleeing Chicago, showing they feel they are better off elsewhere.

TAGS: Chicago, outmigration, population, Rahm Emanuel, uhaul

U-Haul rental rates reflect Illinois’ out-migration crisis

By Madelyn Harwood

10/19/2016

Chicagoans’ strong demand for one-way moves to Houston, Texas, and to Naples, Fla., is driving up moving-truck rental costs.

TAGS: Chicago, outmigration

Face it: Property taxes are forcing Illinoisans out of their homes

By Austin Berg

10/13/2016

Nearly half of respondents said they would like to leave the state, including almost two-thirds of millennials.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gallup, Mike Madigan, outmigration, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Steve Brown

How zoning rules are helping Houston overtake Chicago as America’s 3rd-largest city

By Mark Adams

06/03/2016

As Chicago’s population shrinks, Houston is set to overtake the Windy City as the third-largest city in America. Illinois’ slumping economy is a major reason for that, but the cities’ different zoning rules show how regulations can promote growth – or stifle it.

TAGS: Chicago, housing, regulations, zoning

23 of Illinois’ 29 largest cities are shrinking, Chicago sees 2nd-biggest population decline in U.S.

By Michael Lucci

05/19/2016

In the majority of Illinois’ large cities, the number of people moving to another part of the country is greater than the combined gains from more births than deaths and international immigration.

TAGS: Chicago, outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau

Moody’s: Chicago laggard in economic growth

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

11/12/2015

A new report by Moody’s Investors Service details Chicago’s weak economic growth and increasing government-worker pension obligations.

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

Governor Bruce Rauner Inaugural Speech

01/13/2015

A transcript of Governor Bruce Rauner's Inauguration speech on January 12, 2014.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner

Springfield’s pension crisis

03/12/2014

The city of Springfield’s local pensions are in crisis. But instead of facing this problem head on, Springfield Mayor Mike Houston is quibbling over what he calls “flaws” in a comprehensive report by the Illinois Policy Institute that measures the fiscal health of Illinois’ 114 largest cities. Our report found that Springfield scored worst among...

TAGS: municipal pensions

Houston

Illinois has 63,000 government workers making over $100K

Fact-checking Rahm: Mayor deflects attention as Chicago shrinks

U-Haul rental rates reflect Illinois’ out-migration crisis

Face it: Property taxes are forcing Illinoisans out of their homes

How zoning rules are helping Houston overtake Chicago as America’s 3rd-largest city

23 of Illinois’ 29 largest cities are shrinking, Chicago sees 2nd-biggest population decline in U.S.

Moody’s: Chicago laggard in economic growth

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

Governor Bruce Rauner Inaugural Speech

Springfield’s pension crisis

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

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