Illinois

Budget and tax year-end review: a recap of the best and worst of 2012

By Benjamin VanMetre
12/22/2012
Unfortunately, 2012 was another dismal year for budget and tax policy in Illinois. It seems that the more things change the more they get worse in this state. But the Illinois Policy Institute is fighting to fix that. We believe that Illinois can once again become a beacon of economic freedom, individual liberty and prosperity....

Illinois unemployment: politicians living in an alternate reality

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
12/21/2012
Illinois’ unemployment fell to 8.7 percent in November from 8.8 percent in October, adding 16,400 new payroll jobs. Despite this small decrease in the unemployment rate, Illinois is still a full percentage point above the national unemployment average of 7.7 percent, and 1.6 percentage points higher than the average of its neighboring states. That fact –...

Springfield Sliders bobbleheads cost Illinois taxpayers $10,000

By Benjamin VanMetre
12/20/2012
The 2012 Illinois Piglet Book highlights nearly 200 examples of wasteful government spending totaling more than $354 million. The Springfield Park District, for example, spent $9,941 on bobbleheads. Many of these bobbling toys were modeled after Speedy the Turtle, the Springfield Sliders mascot. Some businesses are struggling to make payroll. Some families are working multiple jobs...

Illinois’ high-tax problem

By Ted Dabrowski
12/20/2012
THE PROBLEM In 2010, the Illinois Policy Institute reported that Illinois is a high-tax state with a tax burden in the top third of all states. The Institute cautioned that any tax increase would damage the state’s economic competitiveness. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly ignored numerous warnings and used a lame...

Illinois’ high-tax problem

12/20/2012
In 2010, the Illinois Policy Institute reported that Illinois is a high-tax state with a tax burden in the top third of all states.

Illinois pensions: a dangerous game of guesswork

By Jonathan Ingram
12/19/2012
In the mid-1990s, Illinois lawmakers were facing a serious problem: the unfunded liability of the state’s five public pension systems. By 1996, the state’s unfunded pension liability stood at $20 billion. As a way to combat this growing problem, the state created a repayment schedule, often called the “pension ramp.” The pension ramp promised to...

Suburban governments in Lake County fail transparency audit

By Brian Costin
12/19/2012
PRESS RELEASE from the ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE MEDIA CONTACT: Diana Rickert Diana@IllinoisPolicy.org or (312) 607-4977 Vernon Hills only bright spot in suburban government transparency audit 19 out of 22 local governments in Lake County receive failing grades CHICAGO (Dec. 19, 2012) – Lake County residents pay some of the highest property tax rates in the...
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Taxed out: 10 reforms to stop Illinois from losing people and jobs

Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...

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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