Chicago: The city that works but not for entrepreneurs
Chicago: The city that works but not for entrepreneurs
Chicago has the worst entrepreneurship rate among the 15 largest metropolitan areas in the country.
Illinois’ economic turnaround depends on entrepreneurship
Illinois’ economic turnaround depends on entrepreneurship
As the graphic shows, the rate of entrepreneurship in Illinois has been below the national average every year since 1996 except for 2001. The Kauffman Foundation entrepreneurship index measures the percentage of adults ages 20 to 64 that start a new business each month and work 15 or more hours per week. It’s measured across all 50...
Evanston lawsuit much more than just a food fight
Evanston lawsuit much more than just a food fight
Illinois has felt the bite of the Great Recession more than most states. Our unemployment rate increased to 8.7 percent in June, the highest in the Midwest and 10th highest in the nation. Lawmakers should be doing all they can to make opening a business easier. But in Evanston, Illinois, they are imposing needless restraints....
In tough economic times, Evanston piles on
In tough economic times, Evanston piles on
by Andrew C. Quinn “Take a risk! Be bold! Blaze your own trail!” We college students, along with recent graduates, constantly hear these commands to forge our own path through these uncertain times. Commencement speakers, counselors, columnists and family friends all repeat the conventional wisdom that entrepreneurial flexibility is now a prerequisite for success. Gone,...
Illinois’ economic turnaround depends on entrepreneurship
Illinois’ economic turnaround depends on entrepreneurship
by Lawrence J. McQuillan, PhD Chief Economist As the graphic shows, the rate of entrepreneurship in Illinois has been below the national average every year since 1996 except for 2001. The Kauffman Foundation entrepreneurship index measures the percentage of adults ages 20 to 64 that start a new business each month and work 15 or more hours...
Food fight in Evanston
Food fight in Evanston
On August 7, 2012, the Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a City of Evanston ordinance that exists only to protect established restaurant owners from the legitimate competition that food trucks would bring to the C
Illinois has highest cost of government in Midwest
Illinois has highest cost of government in Midwest
The average Illinoisan works 208 days to pay the cost of government July 26 is Illinois’ Cost of Government Day, the date of the calendar year on which the average Illinois worker has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of the spending and regulatory burden imposed by government at the federal,...
Another day, another terrible competitiveness ranking for Illinois
Another day, another terrible competitiveness ranking for Illinois
CNBC just released its 2012 America’s Top States for Business, and guess what, Illinois didn’t top the list (no surprise there), but it wasn’t even in the top half! Illinois placed a dismal 26th, worse than most of its neighboring states. Texas took top honors as it has done for three of the six years that...
Another Illinois business opposes plastic bag regs
Another Illinois business opposes plastic bag regs
By now you probably know that I’m no fan of the plastic bag regulationscurrently up for consideration in the House. Neither is the editorial boardof the Chicago Tribune. Since my article ran back in April, I’ve been contacted by Illinois businesses in the plastic bag and film sector, and the message I’m hearing is the same: they...
IL State Senate votes to end legislative scholarship program
IL State Senate votes to end legislative scholarship program
Yesterday, the Illinois State Senate voted 43-5-5 to end a controversial legislative scholarship program that had been abused multiple times by elected officials. The bill now moves to the House for consideration.
Illinois ranked third worst in economic outlook and performance
Illinois ranked third worst in economic outlook and performance
The 5th ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index was just released, ranking states on past economic performance and future economic outlook. Illinois is ranked 48 out of the 50 states in both measures.
Food entrepreneurs need real freedom
Food entrepreneurs need real freedom
A story in the Pekin Daily Times reports that farm-market shoppers in Illinois will have more choices this year, thanks to a law Governor Quinn signed last August, the Local Food Entrepreneur and Cottage Food Operation Act. But the law might not be as beneficial as the its backers suggest — and Illinois and other governments can and should do...
The prison system is not a jobs program
The prison system is not a jobs program
On March 19, the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory (REAL) at the University of Illinois released an assessment of the economic impacts on local economies of proposed closures of four correctional and adult transition centers – Tamms, Dwight, Westside, and Peoria. The study, Impact of the Closure of Selected Department of Corrections Facilities, calculates the direct, indirect...
How Chicago destroys free enterprise and the First Amendment
How Chicago destroys free enterprise and the First Amendment
What does it take to start your own business in Chicago?