Illinois’ rainy-day fund can operate state for about 15 minutes

By Brad Weisenstein

03/16/2020

With economic challenges driven by the coronavirus ahead, Illinois finds itself missing an important financial tool.

TAGS: government services, JB Pritzker, rainy day fund, revenue, small business, social services

Illinois pensions 101: Paltry contributions yield million-dollar payouts

01/17/2020

Across all five state retirement systems, typical career workers pay for about 5% of the cost of their pension benefits. They receive an average of $1.7 million to $3.6 million.

TAGS: Edgar Ramp, firefighter pensions, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, government employees, government services, government unions, government workers, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Jim Edgar, JRS: Judges’ Retirement System, municipal government, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, police pensions, public sector, retirement age, Rod Blagojevich, SERS: State Employee Retirement System, Social Security, social services, Springfield, SURS: State Universities Retirement System, tax hikes, tax increase, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

More Illinoisans on food stamps this Thanksgiving, 50K recipients will soon need jobs

11/26/2019

This Thanksgiving, about 17,500 more Illinoisans will be using food stamps. By New Year’s, about 50,000 Cook County recipients must find jobs or lose benefits.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, Cook County, Donald Trump, DuPage County, food stamps, Illinois, JB Pritzker, link card, Midwest, progressive income tax, SNAP, social services

2 graphics show why Illinois’ social services and taxpayers are getting stiffed

By Michael Lucci

04/25/2017

Government worker retirement costs and interest on state retirement debt are squeezing out funding for social service providers and taxpayer relief.

TAGS: budget, John Cullerton, pensions, social services

Illinois’ $204B debt crowding out payment for social services

By Craig Lesner

11/11/2016

Illinois will spend $1 billion more on annual debt payments than it will on human services in fiscal year 2017.

TAGS: budget, debt, social services

What Rauner can do to reform social services in Illinois

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

12/28/2014

There is clearly no lack of commitment aimed at supporting those in need here in Illinois. The question is how to do a better job of it.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, health care, jobs, social services, welfare