Illinois

Transparency in Jeopardy

By Chris Andriesen
11/16/2010
by Kate Piercy Back in July, Gov. Quinn made an amendatory veto to HB5154, which called for the exemption of all public employee performance evaluations under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Illinois Policy Institute argued against this bill, saying it would threaten transparency in government by prohibiting the release of public employee performance reviews...

The Wisconsin/Illinois Jobs Spat

By Chris Andriesen
11/15/2010
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is engaged in a jobs spat with Wisconsin Governor-Elect Scott Walker. Walker had questioned the wisdom of committing Wisconsin to additional “high speed rail” boondoogle spending (read why he’s right on the policy merits); Governor Quinn responded by trying to woo a Wisconsin-based rail firm to Illinois. Beyond targeted campaigns to win over one company or another...

Most Voters Want Health Care Impact Investigated

By Chris Andriesen
11/11/2010
by Kate Piercy A recent Rasmussen Reports national survey found ambivalence among voters about House Republican plans to investigate the Obama administration – unless the subject of the probe is the unpopular national health care bill. Scott Rasmussen remarked about the findings, saying, “Voters want Congress to focus on substance, not distractions. Congressional questioning about policy...

NYC Loses Its Schools Chief

By Chris Andriesen
11/11/2010
by Collin Hitt The head of New York City’s schools is leaving after eight largely successful years. Replacing Joel Klein as Chacellor – that’s what they call their superintendent in NYC – will be publishing exec Cathie Black.  During Klein’s tenure, the percentage of poor fourth graders scoring as proficient in reading on the Nation’s Report Card...

More and More Federal Employees Earning $150k a Year

By Chris Andriesen
11/10/2010
by Wesley Fox The Institute has previously put the spotlight on excessive salaries for Illinois state employees, but now it appears federal employees are also being paid quite generously. According to USAToday the number of federal employees earning $150,000 or more has grown tenfold since 2005.  In 2010, approximately 82,034 federal workers earned $150,000 or more, compared to only 7,420...

Most Local Tax Increases on Ballot Lose Tuesday

By Chris Andriesen
11/09/2010
by Wesley Fox While many experts are trying to interpret the results of the election in Illinois, they might have an easier time determining the people’s views on taxes. In this year’s election there were dozens of referenda on the ballot asking voters if they support or oppose local sales and/or property tax increases.  Of the...

Illinois to Start Paying Interest on Loan from Federal Government

By Chris Andriesen
11/09/2010
by Wesley Fox According to the Rockford Register Star, Illinois will soon have to pay interest charges on the $2.2 billion it borrowed from the federal government.  Illinois took out the loan to help pay out unemployment benefits after the state unemployment fund ran dry. Beginning on January 1st, the federal government will begin charging interest...

$100K Solar Thermal Energy System for High School Pool

By Chris Andriesen
11/04/2010
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Between September 2008 and August 2010, the Northfield Township High School District 225 received a $107,126 grant “to install a solar thermal energy system at Glenbrook High School at the new diving pool and athletic facility.” The grant (#09-022004) was part of the state’s Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program, which is meant “to encourage utilization...

What It Means – Elections

By John Tillman
11/03/2010
All across the country, from federal races to local races, the national mood and resulting election wave dominated and largely prevailed.  In Illinois, that same wave only flowed for the federal races, not the General Assembly or governor’s race. Mark Kirk won President Obama’s Senate seat, and there were four GOP pickups in the House...

Spotlight on Spending #16: Sparta World Shooting and Recreation Complex

By Brian Costin
11/03/2010
The Problem The World Shooting and Recreation Complex (WSRC) in Sparta, Illinois was completed in 2006 at a construction cost of $31.5 million (as well as another $18 million for road, water, and sewer improvement). The 1,600-acre facility includes 746 RV campsites, 120 trap shooting fields, and a 34,000 square foot events center. The state-funded...
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FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

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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