Madigan budget laced with wasteful spending

By David Giuliani

05/29/2015

The broken state budget proposed by House Speaker Mike Madigan includes spending on wine production, mosquito abatement and a student newspaper.

TAGS: budget, Mike Madigan, taxes, waste

2 Illinois universities among worst in the nation for free speech

By Jeffrey Schwab

03/06/2015

Universities are supposed to be safe havens for controversial ideas, but at least 10 Illinois universities have one or more policies that clearly and substantially restrict freedom of speech.

TAGS: CSU: Chicago State University, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, free speech, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Quinn to receive millions in pension payments

By Austin Berg

03/02/2015

Former Gov. Pat Quinn contributed less than $200,000 to his retirement, but is set to draw more than $2 million in pension benefits over his lifetime.

TAGS: GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, Pat Quinn

Report prescribes expired medicine for state’s fiscal sickness

By Jonelle Lesniak

01/22/2015

Revenues will not solve the problem. Illinois lawmakers need to look at spending.

TAGS: budget, IGPA: Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, taxes

Illinois Corruption Watch: November 2014

By Brian Costin

12/07/2014

In November, 13 of 53 Corruption Watch stories were related to policies and actions of criminal-justice authorities in Illinois.

TAGS: Chicago

Openthebooks.com examines soaring school district spending in IL

By Brian Costin

09/06/2014

Illinoisans’ average property tax rates as a percentage of home value have soared to 2.28 percent in 2012 from 1.93 percent in 2010. This is the second highest rate in the nation. Many Illinois residents are asking why their taxes are so high, and are curious as to where all this is money going. One organization,...

TAGS: education, good government, transparency

SIU audit reveals missing computers, disturbing compliance failures

By Brian Costin

06/15/2013

Earlier this year we looked at the Illinois Auditor General’s findings on Southern Illinois University and the entire state university system. Overall, we found a disturbing lack of compliance with state and federal law. But SIU was one of the lone bright spots, tying Illinois State University for the fewest amount of compliance violations with six...

Auditor’s report reveals disturbing accounting trends in Illinois public university system

By Brian Costin

03/31/2013

the overall trend indicates that The Illinois public university system is getting worse in complying with state and federal laws, leaving the system vulnerable to future cases of public corruption.

TAGS: corruption

The battle for Right to Work is a marathon, not a sprint

03/31/2013

Labor unions have a virtual lock on Illinois politics. Unionized government delivers services ever-less efficiently in rough proportion to its ever-increasing size.

TAGS: Michigan

School choice changes lives: Chicago student goes from CPS dropout to top of his class at YCCS charter

12/31/2012

YCCS, one of the 22 campus sites, prides itself on accommodating students individual needs by matching their educational level upon matriculation with a uniquely tailored, innovative learning environment.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Madigan budget laced with wasteful spending

2 Illinois universities among worst in the nation for free speech

Quinn to receive millions in pension payments

Report prescribes expired medicine for state’s fiscal sickness

Illinois Corruption Watch: November 2014

Openthebooks.com examines soaring school district spending in IL

SIU audit reveals missing computers, disturbing compliance failures

Auditor’s report reveals disturbing accounting trends in Illinois public university system

The battle for Right to Work is a marathon, not a sprint

School choice changes lives: Chicago student goes from CPS dropout to top of his class at YCCS charter

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