Tax-hike proponents claim there’s no way to fix Illinois’ chronic budget problems without more money. They want Illinoisans to believe the state’s tax revenues simply aren’t enough to cover the cost of government. But tax revenues aren’t the real problem. Illinois’ perennial budget crises stem from the state’s persistent overspending and misplaced spending priorities. The...
The New Hampshire legislature has passed an overhaul of asset forfeiture laws to protect rights of innocent property owners; Illinois should do the same.
AFSCME balks at Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal that state workers chip in more for their Cadillac health insurance.
Pension funds aren’t immune to the volatility of the stock market. Even before Brexit, Moody’s warned that low investment returns are already putting Chicago’s pension funds at risk. A major stock market correction or another recession just might put Chicago and CPS over the edge if their already-underfunded pension systems collapse.
The pension problem was created and has been fueled by weak politicians – men and women who decided their next elections were more important than the next generation.
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s insistence that Chicago Public Schools receive more than its fair share of state education funding is putting any stopgap budget deal at risk.
Illinoisans need a taxpayer bill of rights so that politicians must ask permission from voters if they want to raise taxes.
A representative from the state-worker union called for collective action from governments of prison towns to force Gov. Bruce Rauner’s hand in the budget debate, which could expose thousands of incarcerated Illinoisans to squalid, dangerous conditions.
The Cook County Jail was placed on lockdown after 317 guards called in sick during Game 7 of the NBA Finals on June 19.
The city will require rideshare drivers to complete an online course before hitting the road, and will allow ridesharing platforms such as Uber and Lyft to continue conducting their own background checks.
The city’s new ordinance will punish visitors to the city with a 21 percent hotel tax bill.
The city of Evanston offers a path forward for governments to level the playing field between traditional taxis and ridesharing.