Rahm Emanuel

Veto session week 2 recap

By Donovan Griffith
12/06/2014
Action, or lack thereof, on the 2011 income-tax hikes, a minimum-wage increase, SEIU training and more affect Illinoisans in the wake of a lame-duck death.

TAGS: Chicago, lame duck session

Illinois Corruption Watch, October 2014

By Brian Costin
11/01/2014
In October, we found 52 different stories of potential public corruption in Illinois, including a trio of stories related to the election. An Illinois Policy investigation into emails from a group of Kankakee County superintendents revealed potentially illegal activities to pass a countywide sales-tax hike for school facilities. Documents obtained suggest illegal actions by superintendents...

TAGS: good government, waste

Memphis set to embrace 401(k)-style pension reform

By Benjamin VanMetre
10/22/2014
401(k)-style retirement plans are becoming the new normal in state and local pension reform efforts. Six states have passed 401(k)-style reforms since 2008 – with Oklahoma passing a 401(k)-style reform plan for new workers earlier this year. Memphis, Tennessee, is the most recent example of a city pushing to take politicians out of the retirement...

TAGS: 401(k), pensions

Chicago’s budget includes higher tax rates for parking, vehicle leasing and cable TV

By Robert Steere
10/21/2014
Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered his 2015 Chicago budget proposal to the City Council last week. He did so expressing pride that he did not increase property taxes, sales taxes or the gas tax – the big three taxes that support the city budget. That said, his budget proposal continues to nickel-and-dime Chicago taxpayers with new...

Chicago taxi reforms don’t make up for lack of business freedom

By Bryant Jackson-Green
10/17/2014
On Sep. 30, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office announced the “2014 Taxi Driver Fairness Reforms,” which purport to be major improvements that “[put] thousands of dollars back into [Chicago taxi drivers’] pockets” and “[cut] bureaucratic red tape” these drivers have to navigate. The reforms, some of which will need to be passed in a new...

TAGS: jobs

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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