Illinois metro areas yield slight jobs gain in January, but weak long-term trends persist
Illinois metro areas yield slight jobs gain in January, but weak long-term trends persist
Combined jobs growth was slightly positive across Illinois’ metro areas in January. But only four metro areas have recovered the jobs they lost during the Great Recession.
By Bryce Hill
Progressive tax proponents display magical thinking
Progressive tax proponents display magical thinking
Advocates for a progressive income tax claim to offer relief for middle-class families. But that doesn’t jive with real proposals in Springfield or lawmakers’ spending habits.
By Vincent Caruso
An antidote to election apathy: Be like Bob
An antidote to election apathy: Be like Bob
Bob is not a typical politician. He is not a lobbyist. He is a barber. But he’s making real change in the community he loves.
By Austin Berg
Study: Illinois home to highest overall tax burden in the nation
Study: Illinois home to highest overall tax burden in the nation
A recent study confirms what too many Illinoisans have discovered firsthand: that they’re among the most overburdened taxpayers in the country.
By Vincent Caruso
TIFs: A mythical pot of gold for local governments
TIFs: A mythical pot of gold for local governments
Tax increment financing creates elusive troves of property tax “gold” – by depleting funds from local governments the mechanism intends to serve.
By Vincent Caruso
Bar crawl: Indiana reforms will slow business for Illinois liquor store owners
Bar crawl: Indiana reforms will slow business for Illinois liquor store owners
The cocktail of excise taxes heaped onto the sale of alcoholic beverages hits Illinois liquor stores near the Indiana border.
By Vincent Caruso
Illinois sees stagnant jobs growth, declining labor force in January
Illinois sees stagnant jobs growth, declining labor force in January
Despite healthy jobs growth nationally, Illinoisans are desperate for work.
By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill
Off the rails: Estimated cost for Lake Forest Amtrak stop has grown by more than 400 percent
Off the rails: Estimated cost for Lake Forest Amtrak stop has grown by more than 400 percent
Efforts to add an Amtrak train stop in Lake Forest have been plagued by a series of setbacks for a project now estimated to cost more than $13.4 million.
By Vincent Caruso
Christine Gregory
Christine Gregory
“We are losing people at a ridiculous rate. That hurts us because then you may have some people who are here who have the skill set to fill jobs, but if half of those people have left the area then you have trouble maintaining that business here because then you don’t have enough people to...
Collinsville, Granite City sales taxes would rival Chicago’s under tax hike referendum
Collinsville, Granite City sales taxes would rival Chicago’s under tax hike referendum
Madison County voters have twice turned down a proposed sales-tax hike to fund school facilities projects, but the proposal will appear again on March primary ballots. If approved, shoppers in Collinsville and Granite City would see some of the highest sales tax rates in the country.
By Austin Berg
Wheeling approves $7M handout to developer
Wheeling approves $7M handout to developer
Despite residents seeing some of the highest property tax bills in the state, the Wheeling Board of Trustees approved a preliminary agreement giving a developer nearly $7 million to build apartments and retail space in the village.