Utah

Can you wait four years to get a job in Illinois?

By Lawrence McQuillan
08/21/2012
Illinois’ July unemployment rate hit 8.9 percent, up from 8.7 percent in June, the second consecutive monthly increase. Thirty-nine states have a lower unemployment rate than Illinois. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Illinois’ labor force is roughly 6.5 million people. More than half a million of them are unemployed. This is a...

More and More Federal Employees Earning $150k a Year

By Chris Andriesen
11/10/2010
by Wesley Fox The Institute has previously put the spotlight on excessive salaries for Illinois state employees, but now it appears federal employees are also being paid quite generously. According to USAToday the number of federal employees earning $150,000 or more has grown tenfold since 2005.  In 2010, approximately 82,034 federal workers earned $150,000 or more, compared to only 7,420...

States with Business-Friendly Policies Growing

09/28/2010
by Wesley Fox Over the last decade, Americans have steadily moved to states with lower taxes and fewer regulations on businesses.  The population of business-friendly states such as Texas, Florida, and Utah has increased significantly.  In fact, all three are expected to gain seats in the Congress after they are reapportioned. According to a recent...

How to Save State Parks

09/06/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen With the state billions of dollars in the hole, Illinois’s network of state parks is facing budget cuts: The Wildlife Prairie Park subsidy is being wiped out as part of a $2.4 million reduction in lump sums at the Department of Natural Resources. DNR will also reduce vacant positions and defer “non-critical” maintenance at...

Summertime Blues

08/03/2010
by Will Compernolle According to the Chicago Tribune, a new Congressional report called “Summertime Blues” shows stimulus funding has gone to buy iPods for high school students, cell phones for smokers trying to quit, and advertising for the stimulus itself. While the stimulus has been defended as an endeavor to spur job creation, no jobs were...

Spotlight on Spending #8: Illinois Legislators Among Highest Paid in Nation

By Kate Campaigne Piercy
07/22/2010
The Problem Although facing a serious budget deficit, Illinois legislators remain among the best compensated in the nation. Today, Illinois state representatives and senators earn a base salary of $67,836—the fifth-highest legislator salary in the country. Only California, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania pay their legislators more. Illinois state representatives and senators earn around 47...
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Illinois Forward 2027: How to fix Illinois’ state finances

Pro-growth policies and fiscal responsibility can ensure Illinois’ long-term budget health. Here’s how state leaders can do it.

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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