Illinois

High-earners leaving Illinois in droves

By Michael Lucci
03/31/2014
A net of 1.25 million more people left Illinois than entered from 1985-2010, according to data from the Internal Revenue Service on the migration of Illinois taxpayers and their dependents. In every single recorded year, more people left Illinois than entered. Recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates, which go through 2012, show that the exodus has...

TAGS: outmigration

61 local taxing bodies win Sunshine Award in Illinois

By Brian Costin
03/29/2014
During Sunshine Week 2014, the Illinois Policy Institute recognized 38 agencies for earning our Sunshine Award for excellence in online transparency. So far this year, the number of Sunshine Award winners is up to 61 – a 60 percent increase. Over the past year, we have partnered with dozens of local taxing bodies across the...

Illinois remains second worst for joblessness

By Michael Lucci
03/29/2014
Illinois’ jobless rate remained stuck at 8.7 percent for the month of February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Illinois remains the only state in the Midwest with a higher jobless rate today than when Gov. Pat Quinn took office. When Quinn took office, the jobless rate was 8 percent. The state gained 6,400...

TAGS: jobs, unemployment

Quinn, Democrats roll out more tax-and-spend legislative initiatives

By Jane McEnaney
03/29/2014
Just hours after the 2014 gubernatorial primary results were made final, Gov. Pat Quinn and his allies launched a series of class warfare attack ads, which were aimed at playing politics rather than implementing good policy. His administration took no time following suit, unleashing a series of legislative initiatives that, if enacted, would have a...

3 troubling facts about the CTA transit union contract

By Justin Hegy
03/28/2014
On March 23, a Chicago Transit Authority operator crashed a Blue Line train into the O’Hare National Airport terminal. The train hopped the tracks and smashed into an escalator at 2:50 a.m., injuring more than 30 passengers. Union representatives said the operator “works a lot of overtime” and was “extremely tired.” The operator admitted to...

Illinois’ recipe for exodus: 7 different tax structures proposed for 2015

By Michael Lucci
03/27/2014
You’re a small business owner planning out your budget for the next five years. You expect explosive growth and a lot of hiring. But your financial future is uncertain, so you factor business risks and uncertainties into your plan. At least you can count on your state government for stability and a clear tax structure...

TAGS: fair tax, graduated income tax, income tax, progressive income tax

The 6 worst things about Illinois’ proposed ridesharing law

03/27/2014
Taxi-industry lobbyists have been working hard to get Chicago to hobble or ban popular ridesharing services such as UberX and Lyft, but they haven’t gotten very far. The problem: these services are just too popular. Aldermen have been overwhelmed with calls and emails from Chicagoans asking them to leave ridesharing alone. So now the taxi...

TAGS: Lyft, rideshare, Uber

Madigan’s broken pension promise

03/26/2014
When House Speaker Michael Madigan pitched his Illinois pension bill late last year, he got pushback for promoting legislation that hadn’t been officially scored by an independent actuary. That pushback was fair game. Illinois has the nation’s worst-funded pensions and an unfunded liability of $101.5 billion. With the number of failed pension fixes this state...

Illinois’ comeback: The real facts

By Benjamin VanMetre
03/26/2014
JOB CREATION: Since 2010, Illinois has recovered only 215,800 jobs, which is 42,000 fewer than Gov. Pat Quinn’s claim of 257,400. More importantly, Illinois is the only state in the Midwest that had fewer payroll jobs in January 2014 than it did when Quinn took office in January 2009. UNEMPLOYMENT: Illinois has the second-highest unemployment...
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Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

Leaders of these organizations on the South and West sides connect residents to jobs and engage youth to build safer neighborhoods.

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016