Gail Clark
Gail Clark
“If Invest in Kids sunsets, we would probably move out of state. The scholarship is the only thing that has kept us here for the last six years.”
Vallas: A real strategy for containing out-of-control violence in Chicago
Vallas: A real strategy for containing out-of-control violence in Chicago
Chicago can’t afford to wait on immediate crime reduction efforts – the city needs a plan. Unfortunately, no concrete details have emerged on how the new administration plans to address public safety, the No. 1 issue on Chicagoans’ minds. Here are nine steps Chicago officials could take to begin curbing crime today.
Vallas: Here’s where Chicago Board of Education should put its focus
Vallas: Here’s where Chicago Board of Education should put its focus
Mayoral appointments to the city’s school board tell the public a lot about that mayor’s philosophy. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to who Mayor Brandon Johnson is appointing. It’s also important to understand what options should be on the table when it comes to fixing the failing Chicago Public Schools system.
Brandon’s Blueprint for Chicago
Brandon’s Blueprint for Chicago
Illinois adding casinos, but video gaming pays over 3X as much tax
Illinois adding casinos, but video gaming pays over 3X as much tax
Illinois is on pace for four new casinos in 2023, but the state’s tax payout from video gambling in local bars and restaurants remains a much bigger win.
TTX joins major companies leaving Chicago
TTX joins major companies leaving Chicago
Rail car company TTX is heading for North Carolina, adding to the list of corporations formerly headquartered in Chicago. Companies such as McDonald’s and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange could be next.
Vallas: Pritzker flips again on low-income scholarships – signals he’s open to killing program
Vallas: Pritzker flips again on low-income scholarships – signals he’s open to killing program
Last fall when he wanted to get reelected, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he supported extending a scholarship program available to low-income and working-class families – Invest in Kids.
The Policy Shop: What are Mayor Brandon Johnson’s political allies thinking?
The Policy Shop: What are Mayor Brandon Johnson’s political allies thinking?
This edition of The Policy Shop is written by policy analyst Justin Carlson. “First We Get The Money” sounds like the title of a pretty dope, 1990s rap album. It’s not. It’s the name given to what’s intended to be a serious academic paper detailing the various means the city of Chicago can deploy (taxes, taxes,...
Vallas: Only school choice can revive Chicago’s education system, save our kids
Vallas: Only school choice can revive Chicago’s education system, save our kids
With the public education system failing students, the only way to ensure all children have access to a good education is to expand educational options for all.
Unhappy anniversary: Illinois income tax hike is 6 years old
Unhappy anniversary: Illinois income tax hike is 6 years old
Six years after state lawmakers made history by passing Illinois’ largest permanent income tax hike, residents in every tax bracket are leaving.
Chicago has 2nd-highest commercial property taxes in U.S.
Chicago has 2nd-highest commercial property taxes in U.S.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and progressive allies said the city can find fiscal flexibility by taxing big business. The city is already home to the second-highest commercial property taxes in the nation.
Union control: 9 of 10 Illinois lawmakers have received money from unions
Union control: 9 of 10 Illinois lawmakers have received money from unions
Current lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly have received $60.2 million in contributions from unions since 2010. Most of that cash went to Democrats.
Chicago Teachers Union prioritizes politics as student proficiency suffers
Chicago Teachers Union prioritizes politics as student proficiency suffers
The Chicago Teachers Union told lawmakers what to do over 1,360 times in just six legislative sessions. It used its powerful position to pressure the state to follow its radical politics. Here are five examples of the union placing politics over its core purpose.
Ameren monopoly over Illinois transmission lines up to Pritzker
Ameren monopoly over Illinois transmission lines up to Pritzker
The union-backed legislation would grant Illinois’ second-largest electric utility a temporary monopoly over the construction of new transmission lines across nearly three-quarters of the state. Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised to veto it.