Vallas: Mayor Johnson’s 1st year delivers the mayhem he promised

By Paul Vallas

05/14/2024

Mayor Brandon Johnson hits the one-year mark May 15, showing voters he is exactly who he said he was. That’s turning out to be bad for Chicago. Here’s how.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson, Chicago

Every Illinois metro area lost people in 2023; Chicago 3rd worst in nation

By Bryce Hill

03/15/2024

Illinois’ population decline crisis has now spread to every major metropolitan area in the state. Chicago continued losing residents in 2023.

Cook County 2nd-worst in U.S. as 87 of 102 Illinois counties lose population

By Bryce Hill

03/14/2024

Illinois’ population decline crisis continues to affect virtually all counties despite fewer losses in 2023. Cook County saw nation’s second-highest number of residents moving out.

Dry January savings: Illinois wine taxes 4x higher than New York, California

By Dylan Sharkey

01/15/2024

Illinois’ excise tax on wine is more than 4 times higher than the same bottle in New York or California. Buying in Chicago adds extra tax layers, hitting 6 times the taxes of other big cities.

TAGS: alcohol tax, Chicago, sin taxes

Vallas: ‘Illinois is back,’ but only in Pritzker’s active imagination

By Paul Vallas

12/08/2023

Gov. J.B. Pritzker told Crain’s Chicago Business, “Illinois is back.” But with a long list of state and local fiscal and economic problems, that is more spin than reality.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Census: 97% of Illinoisans moving out head to lower-tax states

By Bryce Hill

11/01/2023

State-to-state migration estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau showed Illinois lost residents to 36 states and Washington, D.C. Nearly all the former Illinoisans moved to lower-tax states.

5 problems with report implying Illinois is growing. Problem No. 1: it’s not

By Bryce Hill

10/25/2023

Authors left out key data that contradicted their findings to claim Illinois’ population is growing. Evidence Illinois is shrinking comes independently from the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois Department of Revenue and multiple moving companies.

Chicago poverty higher than San Francisco, Los Angeles

By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey

09/27/2023

Chicago has one of the highest poverty rates among the nation’s biggest cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

TAGS: Chicago

Illinois metro unemployment rates still among worst in U.S.

By Justin Carlson

06/30/2023

While most Illinois metropolitan areas saw job gains last month, unemployment rates remain higher than the U.S. rate in 11 of the state’s 13 metro areas.

IRS: Illinois lost 105K residents, $11B in income to other states in 2021

By Bryce Hill

04/27/2023

Illinois lost more than 105,000 residents and $10.9 billion on net in adjusted gross income to other states from 2020-2021, according to new federal tax return data. Losses were spread across every age and income group.

Texas

Vallas: Mayor Johnson’s 1st year delivers the mayhem he promised

Every Illinois metro area lost people in 2023; Chicago 3rd worst in nation

Cook County 2nd-worst in U.S. as 87 of 102 Illinois counties lose population

Dry January savings: Illinois wine taxes 4x higher than New York, California

Vallas: ‘Illinois is back,’ but only in Pritzker’s active imagination

Census: 97% of Illinoisans moving out head to lower-tax states

5 problems with report implying Illinois is growing. Problem No. 1: it’s not

Chicago poverty higher than San Francisco, Los Angeles

Illinois metro unemployment rates still among worst in U.S.

IRS: Illinois lost 105K residents, $11B in income to other states in 2021

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

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