Washington

Illinois has highest cost of government in Midwest

By Lawrence McQuillan
07/26/2012
The average Illinoisan works 208 days to pay the cost of government   July 26 is Illinois’ Cost of Government Day, the date of the calendar year on which the average Illinois worker has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of the spending and regulatory burden imposed by government at the federal,...

Chicago has second highest taxes on meals in restaurants

03/29/2012
Ever notice that going out to eat seems more expensive in Chicago than other cities? One of the reasons is that on top of the very high sales tax in Chicago, there are additional taxes on meals in restaurants: 0.25 percent Chicago restaurant tax and 1.0 percent Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) food and...

Interactive dashboard: Taxes on meals

03/29/2012
Chicago has the second highest taxes on meals of the 50 largest U.S. cities. Check out the Institute's interactive dashboard on meal taxes to see how we stack up.

Illinois to Congress: Don’t bail us out

By Collin Hitt
03/14/2012
President Obama and Congressional leaders will receive a letter from Illinois this week. Washington is urged to not bail Illinois, or any other state, out of debt. Last May, Senator Mark Kirk introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate to put end federal bailouts of states. His reasons were simple and clear. The Federal government...

Congratulations to the New Mayor of Chicago

05/16/2011
Inauguration day carries a spirit of optimism. Changes are needed in Chicago, and we can all hope today is the day that those changes begin to take place. Chicago is a great city, and in almost every way it could become the greatest city in America. But sober realities await the new mayor. The city...

High Speed Rail Dead in its Tracks?

By Chris Andriesen
04/29/2011
by Brian Costin In the above video from 2009 the Cato Institute’s Senior Fellow, Randal O’Toole, talks about the impact of high speed rail in Illinois. Fast forward to April 2011, and it appears as if the national high-speed rail plan touted by President Obama is losing significant steam. This blog post from O’Toole explains. “President Obama’s dream...

Leaving Illinois: An Exodus of People and Money

12/31/2010
Migration between the U.S. states is the ultimate expression of “voting with your feet.” People move for many reasons, but, when examined en masse, it’s clear that public policy significantly influences where people choose to live.

List of ATR Tax Pledge Signers

10/29/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen Americans for Tax Reform just released its 2010 Illinois list of Tax Pledge signers: WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) released an updated list of incumbents and challengers in Illinois who have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. These candidates have made a written commitment to their constituents to never raise their...
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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