Rauner: Madigan not ‘doing his job’

By Mark Fitton

03/09/2016

More than two-thirds of fiscal year 2016 has passed with the state lacking an overall budget.

Caterpillar CEO’s warnings 4 years later: Illinois on downward slide as predicted

By Michael Lucci

02/15/2016

Illinois politicians ignored Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman’s 2012 plea for pro-growth reforms, and Illinois is the only state in the region to have lost manufacturing jobs on net over the last four years.

TAGS: manufacturing, unemployment

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

The crisis threatens to burden taxpayers with massive, ever-escalating taxes to bail out a system that is not sustainable – government-worker pensions consume a fourth of the state’s budget.

IEA, IFT, SEIU executives supported skipping pension payments

By Amy Korte

02/01/2016

Government-worker union officials filed papers with the Illinois General Assembly in favor of the “pension holiday” that contributed to the state’s $111 billion pension debt.

TAGS: pensions

To fix education funding, Cullerton should focus on reforming pensions

By Ted Dabrowski

01/26/2016

From 2009 to 2014, the state added $8.9 billion in new tax dollars to the education budget, over and above the base amount of $6.8 billion it spent in 2009. Of those new dollars spent, 89 percent went to retirement costs and just 11 percent made it to classrooms.

TAGS: John Cullerton

Pensions vs. schools

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

01/26/2016

Since 2009, 89 cents of every new dollar for education goes to teacher pensions

The $53 million boogeyman: Illinois’ financial woes due to decades of mismanagement, not 7 months of gridlock

By Mark Adams

01/22/2016

Illinois paid $53 million more to borrow money through its Jan. 14 bond sale than it would have paid had politicians not let the state’s debt and government-worker pension obligations spiral out of control, while driving out taxpaying residents and businesses through tax hikes and costly regulations.

TAGS: credit rating

Rauner making moves on pension reform

By Ted Dabrowski

01/21/2016

On Jan. 21 Gov. Bruce Rauner reignited reform talks surrounding Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation pension crisis.

TAGS: pensions

Despite massive stock-market rally, Illinois’ pension liabilities go up and up and up

01/05/2016

The fiscal crises caused by the state’s government-worker pension liabilities.

Kentucky governor-elect: 401(k)-style plans for new government employees

By Ted Dabrowski

11/23/2015

Kentucky’s governor-elect wants 401(k)s for new government employees.

TAGS: 401(k), pensions

Supreme Court of Illinois

Rauner: Madigan not ‘doing his job’

Caterpillar CEO’s warnings 4 years later: Illinois on downward slide as predicted

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

IEA, IFT, SEIU executives supported skipping pension payments

To fix education funding, Cullerton should focus on reforming pensions

Pensions vs. schools

The $53 million boogeyman: Illinois’ financial woes due to decades of mismanagement, not 7 months of gridlock

Rauner making moves on pension reform

Despite massive stock-market rally, Illinois’ pension liabilities go up and up and up

Kentucky governor-elect: 401(k)-style plans for new government employees

What is the Education Freedom Tax Credit and how can it benefit 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