The head of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, or IMRF, has dismissed calls for pension reform, disregarding the fact that pensions aren’t manageable, benefits aren’t affordable, and previous “reforms” propped up pensions on the backs of new workers.
For each percentage point drop in the private sector’s share of the state economy, Illinois household incomes fall by over $3,000 on average. Unfortunately for Illinoisans, the private sector’s share of the Illinois economy has dwindled as government’s share – enabled through tax-funded spending – has risen to 25 percent.
“When my father passed away I was 7 and it was just me and my mom. My mom had a third-grade education. But we never knew we were poor. The family was good, the community was good. If it hadn’t have been for Mr. Lang’s store … I would have never had a Christmas tree....
Illinois’ duplicative and overlapping units of government contribute to the state’s high property tax burden, but luckily some small steps have been taken to consolidate them.
Common sense tells us most 13-year olds are perfectly capable of staying home alone after school while their parent is at work, but in Illinois, common sense isn’t the law.
If Democrats choose Madigan for the 17th time, he will be crowned the longest-serving House speaker in U.S. history.
After receiving incentives and abatements guaranteed by state and local taxpayer dollars, Amazon announces two new facilities in Aurora.
The expiration of the state’s EDGE program – which has given large companies more than $1 billion in tax credits the last 15 years – is good news for taxpayers and should encourage lawmakers to pass real reforms.
Illinois has record loss of 114,000 residents to other states in 2016 as population shrinks by 37,500.
The Chicago market has grown to the third largest in the country, accounting for almost all of the more than $73 million in supplemental income in 2016.
Peoria-based manufacturing giant Caterpillar announced Dec. 14 it will lay off even more employees – another blow to CAT employees in the state and around the globe. Yet while too many Illinoisans struggle under the state’s faltering economy, AFSCME continues to demand more pay and more benefits for state workers.