by Kate Piercy From today’s Chicago Tribune Editorial page: “Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has handed out raises — some of more than 20 percent — to his staff while proclaiming a message of ‘shared sacrifice’ and planning spending cuts of $1.4 billion because the state is awash in debt.” —The Associated Press, July 6, 2010. “Illinois ended...

The State of Illinois gave a $15,000 grant (#06-203940) in fiscal year 2006 to the Chicago Park District “for the installation of two stall type batting cages at Jackie Robinson Park located at 1054 South Morgan Street in Chicago.” According to the DCEO’s grant tracker website, the grant was part of the Grant Management Program “for specific purposes to...

The Problem Illinois faces $6 billion in unpaid bills with an unemployment rate over 11 percent—the highest in 27 years. The state pension system is underfunded by $80 billion, and the state’s bond rating ranks second lowest in the country. In response, Governor Pat Quinn’s proposed fiscal year 2011 budget would raise income taxes by...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a dozen Cook County contracts are being investigated by the county’s ethics board and inspector general. Two of the contracts went to businesses that are not registered with the county or state, “a requirement of businesses doing contract work for Cook County”. The article states: Contracts obtained by the Sun-Times...