Pension Systems Selling Assets to Cover Benefits

08/25/2010

by Kristina Rasmussen From Crain’s: Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System, Springfield, plans to sell $3 billion in investments, or about 10% of its $33.1 billion in assets, in the current fiscal year to pay pension benefits, according to Dave Urbanek, public information officer. The system is the fifth Illinois statewide defined benefit plan to sell off investments this...

The State Un-Fair Questions and Answers

08/24/2010

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson The Institute recently released “Spotlight on Spending #9: The State Un-Fair” reviewing the Illinois and DuQuoin State Fairs between fiscal year 2001 and fiscal year 2009. There has been some confusion about the paper, and we’d like to take a blog post to help clarify some of these questions. 1. “If you can...

ISBE Road Trips Cost Taxpayers Millions

06/30/2010

by Kate Piercy According to the State Journal-Register, five key employees of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) have combined to spend more than $300,000 on travel since fiscal year 2005. In addition, the agency has spent $1.2 million to $1.32 million on travel overall in each of those years. Apparently, a good portion of...

Think Tank Questions Role of Three Players in State Budget Debacle

05/27/2010

Illinois Policy Institute highlights votes of Reps. Black, Biggins and Miller on misguided budget policy.

POST-EVENT REPORT: May 5 – Rich States, Poor States. Where Does Illinois Rank?

05/05/2010

The Illinois Policy Institute held a luncheon discussion

Fiscal Follies: Why Illinois

04/21/2010

Illinois

The Taxpayer’s Fiscal Charter

04/16/2010

Six good ideas for tackling the problem of spending beyond our means.

Institute in the Examiner: Illinois in Dire Spending Straits? Then Why Are We Promoting Quail?

01/31/2010

$6,500 for a tub of live bass? $78,066 for quail promotion? $353,165 for car racing? Does this sound like a budget for a state in dire fiscal straits?

Why Aren’t There More Charter Schools in Illinois?

By Collin Hitt

01/31/2008

The most significant development in American public education over the past fifteen years has been the advent of charter schools. There are more than 4,000 charter schools operating nationwide. Some states are home to hundreds of charter schools. Illinois is lagging far behind. There are only 35 charter schools in Illinois, enrolling less than one...

Springfield

Pension Systems Selling Assets to Cover Benefits

The State Un-Fair Questions and Answers

ISBE Road Trips Cost Taxpayers Millions

Think Tank Questions Role of Three Players in State Budget Debacle

POST-EVENT REPORT: May 5 – Rich States, Poor States. Where Does Illinois Rank?

Fiscal Follies: Why Illinois

The Taxpayer’s Fiscal Charter

Institute in the Examiner: Illinois in Dire Spending Straits? Then Why Are We Promoting Quail?

Why Aren’t There More Charter Schools in Illinois?

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students