Illinois’ comeback story starts here.

CPS school closings: the writing was on the wall

CPS school closings: the writing was on the wall

“Chicago Public Schools on Thursday announced the largest school shakeup in the nation: closing 54 schools and 61 buildings, jostling 30,000 kids and leaving the future of more than 1,000 teachers unclear

When it comes to the AFSCME contract, taxpayers still in the dark

When it comes to the AFSCME contract, taxpayers still in the dark

After all, there is a basic democratic principle in play: An informed citizenry can hold its government in check. But how can we hold Quinn accountable if the information we receive is only what he chooses to share?

Budget Solutions 2014: Pension reform and responsible spending for state and local governments

Budget Solutions 2014: Pension reform and responsible spending for state and local governments

Illinois is in crisis. According to official government numbers, Illinois has an unfunded pension liability of $96 billion – the worst in the nation. This heavy debt burden, combined with the state’s culture of out-of-control, wasteful spending, has driven the state into an economic death spiral. Illinois cannot be economically prosperous until real pension reform...

By Benjamin VanMetre, Jonathan Ingram