Illinois

Amazon Tax Could Put a Damper on Holiday Shopping

By Chris Andriesen
11/23/2010
by Ashley Muchow The holidays are just around the corner–the smell of turkey and apple pie are in the air. As you begin documenting the expansive list of gifts to get grandma, aunt Carol, or your beloved grandson, consider this: Illinois legislators are considering a bill that would make shopping online for these loved ones...

‘Build America Bonds’ Building Debt?

By Chris Andriesen
11/22/2010
by Ashley Muchow Steve Malanga’s article in the WSJ today covers a topic that is both timely and closely connected to Illinois’s deteriorating fiscal condition. One measure about to reach the lame-duck Congress floor is a call to extend Build America Bonds (BABs)–bonds used by states and municipalities to accrue nearly $160 billion in new debt...

Senate Forms Committees to Study Workers’ Compensation and Medicaid Reform

By Chris Andriesen
11/18/2010
by Wesley Fox Senate President John Cullerton announced today that he will form committees to study workers compensation and Medicaid reform, which are initiatives Republicans promoted during the campaign.  The committees would advance legislation for a possible vote in January,according to the Sun-Times. Illinois’s workers’ compensation requirements are costly and discourage employers from hiring or even doing business...

Spotlight on Spending #17: Nationwide Executive Officer Salary Comparison

By Chris Andriesen
11/17/2010
The Problem Previous Institute reports have shown how officials within Illinois’s legislative and judicial branches are paid significantly higher than national averages. Illinois state representatives and senators earn a base salary of $67,836—the fifth-highest legislator salary in the country. Only California, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania pay their legislators more. Judges serving on the state’s...

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...
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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