The franchise tax is complicated and confusing, and compliance wastes the time and economic resources of Illinois’ businesses.
AFSCME members lobbied for $3 billion in additional pay and benefits, showing their lack of concern for Illinois’ overburdened taxpayers.
On the other end of the spectrum, Indiana ranked as best in the Midwest and No. 5 in the U.S., with Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee taking the top four spots. All of these states attract swarms of people in migration from Illinois, especially Texas, Florida and Indiana.
“I grew up on the West Side of Chicago and was working in fast food. We’re talking 20 hours a week at $8.25 an hour, but I was always interested in computers. And a counselor at my transitional housing program recommended I try out a program that would give me some training in that field....
April’s numbers show fourth consecutive month of job gains in the state.
In the majority of Illinois’ large cities, the number of people moving to another part of the country is greater than the combined gains from more births than deaths and international immigration.
Recently retired career state workers receive an average annual pension of $63,000. On top of this, more than 60,000 workers in Illinois’ State Employees’ Retirement System participate in Social Security.
Instead of talking about the necessary, structural reforms to help the state, a collection of Illinois lawmakers want to ask taxpayers to give more to continue irresponsible policies.
The Illinois House has voted to impose civil fines rather than criminal penalties for low-level marijuana possession.
Illinois’ new program to create driver’s licenses and state ID cards with enhanced security features has generated concerns over the possibility of identity theft and government tracking of private citizens.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers is the latest union to work out an agreement with the state.
Affordable-housing mandates are sold to voters as a way to balance development with the need to build housing for the least well-off. In reality, these mandates add to the barriers that prevent developers from making housing more affordable and give rise to corruption in Chicago.