Chicago’s 2025 budget is facing a nearly $1 billion gap. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to close it: increase taxes. The city’s rising non-personnel costs, now at $6.6 billion, will outpace its grant funding, squeeze taxpayers and increase regressive fees.
Chicago speed cameras sent drivers $28 million less in tickets through September than during the first nine months of 2023. Annual revenues could spike again under proposals to drop the citywide speed limit or boost the number of cameras.
Illinois saw the third-highest rate of residents moving out in 2024 based on a survey by Atlas Van Lines. Jobs and taxes are among the top reasons people leave Illinois, which is also third in the nation for highest unemployment rate.
NEA has lost nearly 400,000 members since its peak in 2009. It could be because just 9% of the union’s spending is on representing teachers – with the rest on politics, administration and other union leader priorities.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s senior advisor Jason Lee cast his vote in Texas this November, but Chicago city government requires its employees to reside within city limits.
Only the pandemic hurt Chicago business starts and sustainability more during the past decade. Maybe Mayor Brandon Johnson should stop treating businesses like the enemy?
New data shows only six of 15 Illinois metropolitan areas added jobs in October as the state shed 2,400 jobs. Twelve metro areas reported higher unemployment than the national average.
Montgomery County notified some residents they will not be facing 1,400% property tax hikes as originally planned. The sticker shock stemmed from a 2007 law.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pensions are worth an estimated $3.8 million after only four years as a teacher and one term as mayor. It could go even higher, depending on his next job moves.
High cigarette taxes give Illinoisans a financial reason to sneak in smokes from other states. Illinois is among the 10 states with the most smuggling.
Small Business Saturday offers a reason to be extra thankful: businesses with fewer than 20 employees have been the only ones to grow payrolls since COVID-19 hit.
They call it “inclusionary zoning,” but in reality the government mandate for a portion of developments to be “affordable” limits supply and drives up costs. Chicago should pull back from this form of rent control.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wanted a $300 million property tax hike for his big budget. All 50 aldermen said “no.” So then he asked for $150 million and a 35% tax on liquor. Johnson fails to admit it’s not about taxes, it’s about making changes.