Illinois

Continuing the trend: Union PACs give big money to Democratic Quinn

By Justin Hegy
01/16/2014
In the race for Illinois governor, campaign contribution restrictions have legally been lifted. Labor union’s political action committees, or PACs, have long been primary financial backers of Democrats both in Illinois and nationally. Unsurprisingly, these PACs are now throwing extraordinary amounts of cash behind Gov. Pat Quinn’s re-election bid. Quinn’s political war chest is closing...

TAGS: campaign finance, labor, PAC: political action committee, unions

Illinois legislators take a stand against a progressive income tax hike

By Jane McEnaney
01/16/2014
The Tax Foundation—a nonpartisan, D.C.-based think tank—hosted a press conference in Chicago this afternoon on the effects of a proposed tax increase in Illinois. The Tax Foundation’s analysis of the proposed progressive tax legislation found that: Illinois’ “State Business Tax Climate Index” ranking could fall to 44th from its current 31st ranking if the proposed progressive income...

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

Tax Foundation: Progressive income tax would destroy Illinois’ businesses climate

By Benjamin VanMetre
01/15/2014
The Tax Foundation released an analysis of the proposal to dump Illinois’ fair, flat tax in favor of a progressive tax that would force people to pay higher taxes as their income increases. The conclusion was unsurprising: a progressive income tax would deliver a devastating blow to Illinois’ already struggling business climate. The Tax Foundation...

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

Illinois metro areas still suffering from joblessness

By John Klingner
01/14/2014
In a repeat of last month’s disappointing employment news, eight of Illinois’ 10 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, or MSAs, saw their unemployment rates rise compared to November 2012, according to November’s metropolitan area unemployment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Decatur and Danville regions are still suffering the highest unemployment in the state,...

Illinois paid out $266M in improper unemployment insurance payments

By Brian Costin
01/14/2014
Earlier this week in a televised White House address President Barack Obama said, “I can’t name a time where I met an American who would rather have an unemployment check than the pride of having a job.” But Obama’s statement is contrary to recent statistics released by the U.S. Department of Labor, which show many...

TAGS: unemployment

2.1 million Americans “enrolled” in ObamaCare exchanges through Dec.

By Naomi Lopez Bauman
01/13/2014
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released its latest ObamaCare enrollment numbers, and it is easy to see why the Obama administration has been so reluctant to reveal detailed enrollment data. About 2.1 million Americans “enrolled” in the ObamaCare exchanges through Dec. 28. That number is far below the Obama administration’s impending...

TAGS: ACA: Affordable Care Act

Taxpayers to foot big bill for pointless legislator pay stunt

01/13/2014
In July, Gov. Pat Quinn used his line-item veto power to suspend Illinois legislators’ salaries, pledging to withhold their paychecks until they solved the state’s pension crisis. This predictably provoked a lawsuit by House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and other legislators. A Cook County Circuit Court judge then ruled in September that...

TAGS: lawmaker pay, Pat Quinn

ObamaCare limbo: Thousands of Illinoisans trying to get out of Medicaid while many more trying to get in

By Naomi Lopez Bauman
01/10/2014
Last month, USA Today reported that thousands of people are being mistakenly enrolled in Medicaid due to continued glitches in the healthcare.gov website. Now, it is being reported that more than 100,000 people in five states, including 30,000 in Illinois, have not been able to enroll in the Medicaid program directly from the government site....

TAGS: Get Covered Illinois, health insurance, Medicaid

Unemployment rate falls to 6.7% in December on Americans leaving the work force

By Michael Lucci
01/10/2014
The national unemployment rate declined to 6.7 percent in December, down from 7 percent a month earlier, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Payroll jobs increased a paltry 74,000, below consensus estimates of 200,000. November payroll gains were revised up from 203,000 to 241,000. Despite the huge miss in...

TAGS: jobs, unemployment

Illinois’ sputtering population growth

01/09/2014
The U.S. Census Bureau announced that Illinois had the sixth-lowest population growth in the nation in 2013. The state’s population growth was just 0.11 percent, adding only 14,000 people to its population of nearly 13 million people. Other large states such as Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Texas grew seven to 13 times faster than...

TAGS: population

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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