Illinois’ comeback story starts here.

Quinn’s refusal to implement retiree health insurance legislation costs taxpayers big

Quinn’s refusal to implement retiree health insurance legislation costs taxpayers big

On top of the state’s massive pension debt, Illinois taxpayers are saddled with another $54 billion in debt for retiree health benefits. For years, retired state and university workers have paid little or nothing toward the cost of their health insurance premiums. With the annual cost for these benefits rapidly approaching $1 billion and crowding out other...

By Jonathan Ingram

Quinn

Quinn

Quinn has already wasted nearly $200 million by refusing to exercise his responsibility under the law. Every day that he fails to act, he wastes another $1.2 million.

Right to Work In Michigan?

Right to Work In Michigan?

Michigan is poised to pass a Right-to-Work law in the next couple of days. Union protesters are staked out at the Capitol building making their anti-Right-to-Work opinions known.

No adult supervision required

No adult supervision required

Springfield has a mother-may-I culture in which major legislative initiatives are not launched without the blessing of one of the caucus leaders.

Rock Island County paid $20,489 to Swine-time Pig Racing

Rock Island County paid $20,489 to Swine-time Pig Racing

Property taxes are rising, state income taxes are higher, unemployment is nearly 9 percent and local governments are supposedly cash-strapped. Schools are cutting programs, and police and fire pensions are crowding out spending on core local services. Yet local governments continue to waste the money of hardworking Illinoisans. Each year local governments in Illinois make payments for a wide...

By Benjamin VanMetre

November unemployment: lower national unemployment rate masks increased joblessness

November unemployment: lower national unemployment rate masks increased joblessness

The national unemployment rate may have dropped to 7.7 percent in November from 7.9 percent in October, but the nation is making little progress on the road to a full economic recovery. Though a decrease may seem encouraging, the reality of these numbers is not: The rate dropped because more than 350,000 people left the...

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

Rock Island County paid $20,489 to Swine-time Pig Racing

Rock Island County paid $20,489 to Swine-time Pig Racing

In this shell game of government spending, much of the waste and abuse goes unnoticed. Rock Island County, for example, paid $20,489 to Swine-time Pig Racing, a company that specializes in pig racing.

Illinois legislators among highest paid in the nation

Illinois legislators among highest paid in the nation

The dust has settled from an uneventful veto session. No progress was made. The one attempt at reforming Illinois’ out-of-control pensions that legislators put forward is a step in the right direction, but ultimately would perpetuate the crisis by failing to prescribe the right medicine for the problem at hand. And the efforts to make things...

By Benjamin VanMetre

Veto session: legislative recap

Veto session: legislative recap

There was very little legislative activity during the past two weeks of veto session in Springfield. However, several bills have been further positioned to move during special session in January, when lame duck legislators will retain voting power, even though they were voted out of office in November. The following is a recap of the...

By Matt Paprocki, Jane McEnaney

Veto session: legislative recap

Veto session: legislative recap

There was very little legislative activity during the past two weeks of veto session in Springfield.

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