Ohio

Unions’ Preferred Rating for Teachers: NR

By Chris Andriesen
11/10/2010
by Dan Proft Amid the contentious debate as to how we improve public education in America, there is one reality to which all parties subscribe: there is no substitute for a quality teacher in the classroom. The scholarship on teacher quality is clear. It is the most important school-related factor in student achievement. Some studies...

Key Facts about Illinois

By Chris Andriesen
11/01/2010
The Problem With its resources, location, expansive farmland, and first-class towns and cities, Illinois should be a leading economic powerhouse in the United States. Unfortunately, thanks to an unfriendly business and regulatory climate, Illinois has been underperforming for years. “Rich States, Poor States,” a comprehensive economic performance index authored by Steve Moore, Art Laffer, and...

The Cost of Income Taxes

10/05/2010
by Ashley Muchow Arthur Laffer addressed a core issue regarding the economic impact of state income taxes in the WSJ today. Laffer addressed the often ignored negative impact income taxes have on state economies. Illinois’s personal income per capita decreased from 133 percent of the U.S. prior to its 1969 income tax levy,  to just 106 percent...

Renowned Banking Analyst Predicts Gloom and Doom for Illinois

10/01/2010
by Ashley Muchow Meredith Whitney, former banking analyst, and current CEO of Meredith Whitney Advisory Group, doesn’t see anything short of fiscal ruin for a handful of U.S. states. In a Bloomberg interview, Whitney holds up states as the new systemic risks to the U.S. economy.  Her company’s latest report, appropriately titled “Tragedy of the Commons”,...

Spotlight on Spending #8: Illinois Legislators Among Highest Paid in Nation

By Kate Campaigne Piercy
07/22/2010
The Problem Although facing a serious budget deficit, Illinois legislators remain among the best compensated in the nation. Today, 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. Illinois state representatives and senators earn around 47...

Indiana: The right way to cope with declining tax revenue

07/21/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen Budget & Tax News (one of my go-to publications for state fiscal policy news) features a great interview with Indiana Budget Director Christopher Ruhl. It’s refreshing and encouraging, and Illinois state leaders could learn a thing or two from it: Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), who took office in 2005, insists on fiscal discipline. One of his...

Cincinnati Vendors Get $11 Million in Illinois

07/16/2010
by Will Compernolle Over $11 million from the State of Illinois went to vendors located in Cincinnati, Ohio in fiscal years 2007 and 2008. Included in the $11,737,442 were $8,897,052 to First Transit Inc. for “Prof and Artistic Services,” $34,055 to Crowe Horwath LLP for “Expert Testimony,” and $29,479 to a Cincinnati Office Depot for...

The Jury on School Vouchers

03/24/2010
This report, prepared by the Institute for Justice, says SB294 is constitutional under both the federal Establishment Clause and the Illinois Constitution.

This Bid’s for You! How online reverse auction saves taxpayers millions

By Kate Campaigne Piercy
08/26/2009
Problem Illinois needs more cost-efficient, quality-driven spending activity at the local and state levels of government. Illinois’s state budget has exploded from $24.7 billion in 2004 to $32.2 billion in 2009, increasing nearly 30 percent over just five years. The state needs better spending practices, more transparency in the procurement process, and a tool to...
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Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

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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