by Kristina Rasmussen Two headlines caught my attention this morning. Headline #1: Wood County [Wisconsin] budget starts with surplus For the first time in 10 years, Wood County will enter the budget process with a surplus. The state’s budget repair bill enacted this year requires public employee contributions of 5.8 percent to retirement plans. … Looks like...
by John Tillman The liberty movement lost a great friend when Ralf Seiffe died unexpectedly yesterday morning. Ralf was truly one of life’s unique characters that come along all too rarely. Ralf was a joyful lover of life, people, history, culture and, of course, liberty. Ralf was a fountain of creativity. He always had a...
by Kristina Rasmussen The next time you make a major purchase online, keep your eye on the tax bill. Thanks to a little-known aspect of Illinois’s tax code, shipping charges may be subject to sales taxes. That’s right, you could be getting taxed on shipping. Today’s Chicago Tribune highlights how sales taxes must be applied on shipping fees above...
by Emily Dietrich Should the government tell you what to eat? When to eat? Or how much to eat? What about if it cost jobs? What if you lost your job because the government regulated who-could-eat-what? U.S. Representative Peter Roskam predicts Illinois families will be facing this exact situation. In The Chicago Sun-Times, he writes: “Illinois-based...
by Mark Cavers A new 50 state study shows Illinois ranks second worst in the nation in a taxpayer versus big labor index. Last week, the Competitive Enterprise Institute launchedwww.workplacechoice.org, a comprehensive ranking across “23 individual aspects to determine the degree to which states favor organized labor and which favor taxpayers.” No surprise here, out...
y Kristina Rasmussen I love fairs. I grew up making regular trips to the Minnesota State Fair and the county fair near my grandparents family farm. I love the moment you enter the fairgrounds and feel that intense energy — a concoction of cotton candy, Tilt-a-Whirl rides, vendors hawking their wares, and high-stakes 4-H competitions. It’s...
by Emily Dietrich People no longer use the term “Hoover Flags” to describe turned-out empty pockets or “Hooverville” to characterize a tent city. Yet, many Illinoisans may be surprised to learn that the failed policies that discredited President Herbert Hoover are still being implemented today. Jonathan Bean, who is a Professor of History at Southern...
by Kristina Rasmussen Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill making it easier for local school districts to reap a windfall from higher local sales taxes. According to Chris Wetterich over at the State Journal-Register, Quinn’s action“eliminates the ability of county boards to block or reduce school construction sales tax levies.” That’s a shame, because as I experienced...
by Kristina Rasmussen Last night in Seattle, I had the pleasure of watching John Tillman accept the Roe Award at the State Policy Network’s annual meeting. The Roe Award pays tribute to those in the state public policy movement whose achievements have greatly advanced the free market philosophy. The activities and impact recognized by the Roe Award were...
In a trend that continues to worsen, more Illinoisans found themselves unemployed in the month of July. Illinois lost more jobs during the month of July than any other state in the nation, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report. After losing 7,200 jobs in June, Illinois lost an additional 24,900 non-farm...
For most Illinois families, the price of the January 2011 state income tax hike is an additional week’s wages lost to state coffers. But for some, the cost has been much higher as jobs disappear altogether. Between January and June 2011, 56,223 fewer Illinoisans were employed* – a performance worse than any other neighboring state....
by Emily Dietrich Imagine what Illinois will look like in 2050. The social and economic fabric of the country will definitely have changed. By then, the United States will have an additional 100 million people. Noted futurist and author Joel Kotkin has given this a lot of thought. Recently, he led a discussion at Illinois Policy Institute....
by Emily Dietrich This year Illinois lawmakers spiked taxes on employees and employers alike. But when big businesses threatened to move to other states in response to the higher taxes, Illinois politicians rushed in and offered tax cuts and other incentives. Companies like Motorola and Caterpillar were saved. But what’s the real story behind the tax increases?...
Over the past three months, the Illinois Policy Institute has been working with 16 government entities in Lyons Township to the implement transparency best-practices as part of our local government transparency project. The Institute just completed a second round of audits on the local governments; this is an important benchmark for checking progress. You can see the...