Illinois unions members give hundreds of dollars a year to union dues. But most of that money is spent on politics – not representing workers’ interests or protecting them. Mailee Smith follows the money. She joins the Policy Shop to show where government union money goes and why Amendment 1 would harm all Illinoisans. This...
Over-promised benefits continue to sink Chicago’s finances as the recent bear market eats into 2021 stock market gains. Investments gaining 25% last year plus federal aid didn’t offer much help to city pension systems, which have more debt than 45 states.
A U.S. Department of Labor report stated Illinois failed to report theft of pandemic relief money as required. Illinois lost over half of pandemic unemployment funds to fraud.
Rising prices and mortgage rates are making housing unaffordable for a growing number of Illinoisans. A property tax increase on the Nov. 8 ballot could make it worse.
Voters decide Nov. 8 whether to pass Amendment 1 – a hidden tax hike that could cost Illinois taxpayers, including fixed-income retirees, their homes and put homeownership farther out of reach for young families.
Chicago property tax bills are on the rise again, thanks to the city’s massive pension debt. Mayor Lori Lightfoot compared the latest property tax hike to additional toppings at lunch.
Amendment 1 has many more negatives than voters will ever realize, but one of those is a $2,100 property tax hike. Illinoisans should vote on all taxing and spending hikes, not just those presented to them as vague constitutional amendments.
A new ad falsely claims Amendment 1 will protect nurses’ rights at private children’s hospitals. The same government unions who paid for the ad ended legislation that truly would have helped nurses.
Illinois can draw from other states’ experiences to solve its own gerrymandering problem. One solid solution is as close as Michigan.
The government union-backed website claims Amendment 1 would put more money in the pockets of working Illinoisans, but the change could only benefit the 7% who are government employees. All families would pay $2,149 more in property taxes.
After a few years of homes flying off the market, signs are indicating the market is starting to cool. Is a housing bubble going to burst? Bryce Hill joins the Policy Shop to discuss what’s going on in Illinois’ housing world, how prices fair today and what to expect next. This week’s Policy Shop is...
Many Chicago charter school bargaining agreements are expiring this summer, and the Chicago Teachers Union is positioning itself to grow its power by diminishing charter schools as an alternative for parents and students.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers in 2021 spent 190 times more on Chicago-area teachers than it did on teachers south of Interstate 80. That could be why IFT membership has shrunk nearly 18% since 2017.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s re-election ad praises him for fictional tax relief, hinting he repealed the grocery tax and lowered the gas tax. Neither is true.