by Wesley Fox The Illinois Policy Institute has proposed greater transparency in taxpayer-funded lobbying, including reports on state and local government expenditures on lobbyists. The Daily Herald has found another good reason for transparency. According to the Daily Herald, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Pace and Metra spent more than $12.8 million on...
by Brian Costin A recent Chicago Reader article highlights confusion among Chicago’s restaurants in regards to the recent Cook County sales tax reduction, and a myriad of different taxing districts within the city. Every retail establishment in Chicago must collect and turn over to the Illinois Department of Revenue a 9.75 percent “retailers’ occupation tax”—or sales tax. This...
In 2009, the CTA received $25 million in direct funding from the state but it still needed to cut service to close a budget deficit after union workers refused to return a 3.5% pay raise.
