Is Mayor Daley acting a little defensive these days or what? During a Tuesday press conference, he took a jab at the aldermen who are opposing his $35 million property tax rebate gimmick, adding: "So the politicians are saying: increase your property taxes and increase your income tax. Unbelievable! It seems" [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Waiting For A Miracle
Stephen Franklin explores the financial insecurity faced by Chicago day laborers.
Reenergizing The South Side
WBEZ's
Gabriel Spitzer checks in on the proposed state-of-the-art solar power
plant that could transform an industrial' [...]
Illinois finances have been on shaky ground for the better part of the past decade. As a result, transit doomsdays, school funding referendums, and the threat of human service cuts emerge, like clockwork, every year. But the fact that the state has slipped so quickly from "the middle of the pack" in financial stability [...]
With unemployment jumping over 10 percent nationally last month and the midterm elections just a year away, Democrats are scrambling to find new ways to buoy the economy. In the past few weeks, a cadre of high-ranking lawmakers have coalesced around a "job creation" package, which Illinois' own Sen. Dick Durbin has' [...]
The folks at Environment Illinois have been doing yeoman's work documenting exactly why federal climate change legislation is an urgent priority. Yesterday, they released yet another report detailing a major source of pollution in the Prairie State: coal-fired power plants.
It's no coincidence that Illinois ranks sixth nationally for its [...]
Officials: Keeping Terrorists Quiet Is Biggest Concern
Today, Gov. Pat Quinn released the first of what will be a weekly documentary series (dubbed "Quinn Stories") chronicling his time on the campaign trail. The initial installment includes some candid video of his visit to Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair this past summer:
The campaign also put [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Facts About Recall
Byron Williams, a syndicated columnist from
California, warns Illinois residents that while having the ability to
recall the governor might seem "empowering," that feeling is "temporary
at best."
Food Insecure
With food insecurity on the [...]
At a press conference before reporters in Chicago today, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias unveiled his financial reform platform, the third installment of the campaign's Future Works America economic plan, which we previously covered. In the video below, the Democratic Senate candidate lists his varios proposals, including the application of commercial banking regulations to non-bank' [...]
In their opposition to raising the state income tax, conservatives love to talk about Illinois' "bloated" government. Of course, they conveniently overlook the fact that we are one of the lowest spending states nationwide and that we are ranked near dead last in the country for our
Last week, we reported on Chicago Ald. Joe Moore's (49th Ward) frustration with Mayor Daley's gambit to yank $35 million from a reserve fund created by the parking meter lease to refund some taxpayers between $25 and $200 on their property tax bills. On the floor Wednesday, Moore suggested that while the' [...]
Yesterday on OpenLeft, David Sirota conducted a little case study on how local media outlets are covering the debate over the Senate health care bill. In Denver, where Sirota lives, some newspapers and television news reports have focused exclusively on the cost of the bill -- $849 billion over 10 years, according to [...]
Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius unveiled a detailed analysis of how individual states would fare under the Senate's health care reform bill. Here's the estimated take-away in Illinois (this analysis does not factor in the local impact of a public option):
- 1.8 million residents who [...]
Quinn Anticipates Swift Thomson Sale
Illinois Tollway Seeks Bond Issue
The Illinois Tollway
is returning to the municipal [...]
This morning, Gov. Pat Quinn's reelection bid got the support of Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Incidentally, Quinn himself was a UFCW member in his younger days. The campaign released the following video shot at the event:
What a difference a week makes.
Last Thursday, the Illinois Republican delegation issued a series of questions for Gov. Pat Quinn regarding his plan to allow the federal government to incarcerate former Guantanamo Bay detainees at the Thomson Correctional Center. The letter's opening sentence called for a "dignified and precise discussion regarding the cost,'" [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Legal Aid For City Hall Crusaders
The SouthtownStar's Phil Kadner
profiles the Center for Open Government, a new legal aid clinic at the Chicago-Kent College of Law that focuses on cases "where average
citizens who cannot afford an attorney'" [...]
Last week, a group of small business owners crashed a major health insurance industry conference in Chicago, demanding to know why the big insurers continue to fight meaningful health care reform in Washington. These entrepreneurs have good reason to be concerned. Crain's Mike Colias reports today that local insurance brokers estimate many' [...]
Now that roughly one-quarter of the money allocated in President Obama's stimulus plan has flown out the door, a consensus among economists about the effectiveness of the package is emerging. The New York Times' reports:
The legislation, a variety of economists say, is helping an economy in free fall a year ago to [...]
Last week, we credited 42nd Ward Ald. Brenden Reilly for his opposition to the proposed creation of a sixth tax increment financing (TIF) district in his booming downtown ward. Today, the Tribune editorial board chimed in, calling out Mayor Daley for attempting to exploit a legitimate economic tool to [...]
It's been a long time coming, but families enrolled in Illinois' Bright Start college savings program might get back most of $85 million that was lost when the market tanked last year.
For those just getting caught up (the full backstory is here), six states, whose 529 college-savings programs were exposed [...]
Report: Prison Deal Could Create 3,000 Jobs
According to a White House analysis, a deal to transfer
Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center could bring
nearly 3,000 jobs to the area. Up to 1,400 hundred of those could be
filled with local residents.
Here's a roundup of the latest happenings in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board President:
Preckwinkle's Platform
Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th Ward) attempted to steer the campaign back to the issues on Thursday, rolling out a 12-point plan for reforming county government. Crain's Greg Hinz points out that the wonkish' [...]
The backlog of payments to Medicaid providers is a serious problem in Illinois. When these notoriously low reimbursements to primary care physicians administering care to Medicaid patients don't arrive on time, it makes the doctors increasingly reluctant to treat that population. That diminishes health care access for some of the' [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Hard Labor
Chicago-based labor reporter Claire Bushey is launching a
new blog at True/Slant. She explains the inspiration for the project in
her first post.
Tamms Tour
As part of his 10-part reform plan
for the Tamms Correctional [...]
The Windy City edition of the New York Times debuted today, featuring an article on the controversial parking meter lease from veteran City Hall reporter Dan Mihalopoulos, now with the Chicago News Cooperative.
In his report, Mihalopoulos digs into the books of Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the private company that now controls the [...]
After the Cook County Board of Commissioners finally agreed yesterday to fund foreclosure mediation services, housing advocates are celebrating the move as "a huge step" towards stemming the problem.
As regular readers know, it's been a tough slog for those community activists -- led by the group Action Now -- who've been pushing the [...]
Take a look at this headline from today's Daily Herald:
Reading that, you might guess that the west suburban town of about 150,000 passed a referendum opposing an income tax increase in Illinois. Or perhaps someone polled Naperville residents' on the various tax hike proposals being discussed at the state level. Well, [...]
This just out from Sen. Roland Burris' office:
After months of investigation into the circumstances surrounding the appointment and seating of Senator Roland W. Burris, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics has closed its inquiry and cleared the Senator of any legal wrongdoing.
In a ‘public letter of qualified admonition,’ the Senate Ethics Committee outlined the' [...]
That's how the Reader's Ben Joravsky describes our own Angela Caputo in his latest article on Chicago's tax increment financing (TIF) network. And you can bet she's wearing that badge with pride.
Joravasky's piece also details how state legislators used a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) bill to quietly extend' [...]
Cullerton: State Lawmakers Have No Gitmo Control
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) says the General
Assembly has no formal control over the decision to relocate Guantanamo
Bay detainees to an Illinois prison. While a committee could review the proposal, any vote would be advisory.
All four Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Democratic have produced new videos in the last few days. Let's take a look, shall we?
The first comes from David Hoffman, who cut a highlight reel from a forum held by the Northern Illinois Coordinated Campaign Committee in Rockford on Sunday. In the clip, Hoffman' [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
A Kink In The Campaign
This week's Reader cover story examines the unorthodox primary race in Illinois' 40th District.
Life Support
At Huffington Post Chicago, Shawn Healy digs into a new study on civic engagement [...]
The Chicago City Council held its full monthly meeting yesterday. We've got some of the highlights:
Budget Priorities Take A Beating
All eyes have been on Mayor Daley's 2010 spending plan as of late, which relies on $370 million from the city's asset-sale proceeds to help balance next year's $6.14 billion budget. Despite' [...]
A new video from the Dan Hynes campaign has been making the rounds online today. It splices together some footage from yesterday's Campaign for Better Health Care forum in which Gov. Pat Quinn appears a bit tired and distracted as Illinois resident Midge Hough recalls the tragic story [...]
The state's unemployment troubles just keeps growing. Today, the Illinois Department of Employment Security released the October jobless rate. In just one month, it jumped from 10.5 to 11 percent, the highest level in 26 years. CBS 2 has more:
The state reported job losses in numerous industries. The trade and transportation sectors lost [...]
The federal government is one step closer to providing health care and retirement benefits to domestic partners of its gay and lesbian employees. Yesterday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved H.R. 2517 by a 23-12 vote. Illinois Democrats Mike Quigley, Danny Davis, and Bill Foster all supported the legislation. GOP Rep. Aaron [...]
Yesterday afternoon, as part of the Campaign for a Better Health Care's annual conference, Gov. Pat Quinn and Democratic primary challenger Dan Hynes engaged in an hour-long debate on health care reform. Because it costs the state money to provide coverage to the poor and to protect public health, the [...]
Nursing Home Task Force Releases Recommendations
A task force investigating safety problems in Illinois nursing homes will meet today to unveil a plan to prevent the assaults, rapes, and murders that have plagued some facilities. Gov. Pat Quinn's senior health advisor, Michael Gelder, is recommending more housing [...]
Just in the past week, two key Democratic leaders in Washington expressed interesting in crafting a federal jobs package that would likely extend federal unemployment insurance for workers who exhaust their benefits after December 31. But they better move quickly, as more than one million unemployed Americans are scheduled to lose their insurance [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Homeless Baby Crying
Ryan
J. Down, executive director of Illinois' second largest homeless
shelter, ponders the daunting task of eradicating homelessness in
America.
Inmate Care
Are prisoners' health care needs being met in Illinois?
Mechanics' Sheila Burt reports on' [...]
A Chicago alderman objecting to the creation of a new tax increment financing (TIF) district in his ward?
It's not something you hear about every day. But Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) is reportedly pushing back against some East Loop property owners who want to see their area -- in the' [...]
Earlier this week, the State Journal-Register asked the candidates contending for their respective Illinois gubernatorial party nominations a series of questions about state pension system. According to the paper, most called it their "high" or "highest" priority. If the pols want to get a better sense of what type of shape the system is [...]
A few months back, a coalition of community activists from across Chicago met at City Hall to call out the Daley administration for investing so few tax increment financing (TIF) dollars in affordable housing. After all, over the past decade, a mere 4 percent of the economic development money has gone towards [...]
In an interview with Rockford's WREX earlier this week about the possible transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center, Rep. Don Manzullo unleashed what seemed like an unhinged attack on the religion of Islam. "These are really, really mean people," he told the television reporter, "whose job it' [...]
Cook Co. Board Votes To Scale Back Stroger Sales Tax Hike
By a vote of 12-5, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted
yesterday to reduce the county sales tax by half-a-cent, thereby
halving President Todd Stroger's controversial sales tax hike. Stoger
has vowed to veto the' [...]
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has already expressed some interest in extending unemployment insurance through 2010. Now it appears that Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is thinking along the same lines.
In a news conference today, the House majority leader said now that his chamber has passed its own version of [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Rose's Nomination
One
of President Obama's U.S. attorney nominations in Northern Iowa is being
criticized for her role in the Postville meatpacking plant controversy.
The New York Times has the story.
Casting Its Lot
Matthew
Blake reports on [...]
America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) kicked off its annual conference in Chicago this morning and health care reform is sure to be a major topic of discussion. Just over two weeks ago, AHIP CEO Karen Ignagni said her organization -- the nation's top health insurance lobby -- was "concerned" that the recently-passed House bill [...]
Mayor Daley appears to be feeling the pressure to come clean about his plans to spend the city's $1 billion tax increment financing (TIF) surplus. As regular readers know, the city's unprecedented budget shortfall has opened the door to some long-overdue questions about why the public funds ($495 million in [...]
Last week, we noted a rather somber anniversary: Ten years had passed since Congress and the Clinton White House enacted legislation overtturning the Glass-Steagall Act. By dismanting this Depression-era financial regulation (which segregated commercial banks and investment banks), the new law helped paved the way for the wild derivatives [...]
Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to receive an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on his chamber's health care bill. Sources tell ABC's George Stephanopolous that the package will cost below $900 billion, will extend coverage to most Americans, and will reduce the deficit in both the short- and [...]
The rhetoric offered up by the Illinois GOP in response to the proposal to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center in Northwest Illinois has so far been irrational and irresponsible. After all, Illinois already houses 35 inmates arrested on terrorism charges. Since put behind bars here, they have gone "totally [...]
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Cross Threatens Legislative Block To Thomson Sale
House
Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) says he'll introduce legislation
that would put to a vote Gov. Quinn's proposal to sell the Thomson
correctional center to the federal government. Meanwhile, federal officials say that in addition to housing prisoners from the' [...]
Lots of new campaign advertisements and web videos out in the past few days. Here's a rundown ...
Gov. Pat Quinn has a new ad out, titled "Finally," which hit the airwaves yesterday, according to Capitol Fax:
After yesterday's fiery debate in Rockford, the Quinn campaign also released this clip [...]
Here's the latest in health care news ...
A Silent Stimulus?
To weather the unrelenting economic recession without slashing services, state governments are going to need more assistance from Washington. Luckily, some help is on the way. And it's coming via an unlikely source.
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Burdening The Poor
The debate in Springfield about an income tax hike should focus on reforming an outdated and highly regressive state tax
code, writes Galesburg Register-Mail guest columnist Judy Guenseth.
Why Todd Stroger Is [...]
After watching again and again as Illinois lawmakers relied on financial gimmicks to pay for core services, budget experts knew it was only a matter of time before Springfield would be forced to confront the state's ballooning structural deficit.
Last week, the Pew Center on the States confirmed that the moment [...]
Ten days ago today, President Obama signed into law a federal unemployment benefits extension granting jobless benefits to unemployed Americans set to exhaust their allotted insurance by December 31, 2009. When can workers in Illinois who qualify expect their checks to arrive? We put in a call to Greg Rivara, a [...]
The latest from the 2010 U.S. Senate race ...
Yesterday afternoon, Rep. Jan Schakowksy announced her endorsement of State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias in the Democratic primary. When they rolled out Rep. Luis Gutierrez' backing a week earlier, the campaign used the occasion to highlight Giannoulias' position on the need [...]
Illinois' prison system is finally making major headlines. But not for the reasons we had hoped.
Over the weekend, the White House announced that the near-empty Thomson Correctional Center in rural northwest Illinois has emerged as a potential candidate to house terrorism suspects from the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Federal officials, at the' [...]
Report: Body Of School Board President Found
A body believed to be that of Chicago Board of Education president
Michael Scott was found in the Chicago River near the Merchandise Mart
this morning. Concerned about his whereabouts, his family
had contacted police Sunday night to report he was missing.
Over the past year, Capitol Hill has been portrayed as ground zero in the health care debate. But the heart of the fight was never in D.C. Rather, it was in the millions of households across the country, where the uninsured and the underinsured live in fear, knowing that they [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
An Online Video Bonanza
The Bloomington Pantagraph takes note of the increased and widespread use of well-produced online videos among 2010 primary campaigns here in Illinois.
Who Would Be Most Impacted By Stupak?
TPM DC's Brian Beutler [...]
This weeks mark ten years since the enactment of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act. This piece of legislation repealed a Depression-era law known as Glass-Steagall, which segregated commercial and investment banks. By breaking down that wall, huge financial institutions were able to invest heavily in exotic "derivatives" that put [...]
Over the past two weeks, we've been covering some intense efforts by Chicago-area who want to see Cook County set aside some of the millions in foreclosure filing fee revenue for mediation services. After a year of unsuccessfully trying to get a meeting with County Board President Todd Stroger, the group Action' [...]
On Tuesday, the conservative group Concerned United Taxpayers hosted a debate featuring the four Republican primary contenders in the 11th Congressional District. One of the candidates, David McAloon, had a member of his campaign filming the forum (as is quite common in this day and age). But apparently it was [...]
Amid reports about Wal-Mart's renewed effort to move back into Chicago, editorial boards and local media figures resorted to a familiar refrain: that people in low-income communities should simply be grateful for any new jobs. Ald. Howard Brookins Jr. (21st Ward) has also pushed the argument that Wal-Mart's poverty wages are [...]
Quinn Snags Gutierrez' Endorsement
U.S. Rep. Luis
Gutierrez will announce today that he's endorsing Gov. Pat Quinn in the 2010 Democratic
gubernatorial primary.
Political Unknowns Score Top Ballot Spots
Yesterday, the State Board of Elections pulled names to determine the
ballot positions for next year's February 2 primary election. The' [...]
Combing through the Illinois political coverage today, we found ourselves frustrated by a handful of things. Here's a rundown:
Stantis on early prisoner release
Tribune political cartoonist Scott Stantis published a brutal cartoon about the state's early prisoner release plan this morning (you can view it here). It depicts a pack of snarling [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Best Magnets, Less Diverse?
Can Chicago maintain diversity at its magnet and selective
schools despite
the recent scrapping of the desegregation consent decree? Sarah Karp crunches some numbers for Catalyst.
Confirm Patricia Smith
President Obama's nominee [...]
Earlier this month, the White House called out some suspect lobbying by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Just a year after the national business lobby was more than willing to bend its free-market philosophy to help big business snag its share of the federal bailout, presidential advisor Valerie Jarrett noted their awfully "self-serving" position [...]
Chicago's police officers are the city's first line of defense and they deserve our thanks. That being said, they are also paid with taxpayer dollars and should be expected to withstand public scrutiny. Yet again and again, the Daley administration has worked to prevent reasonable attempts to create more accountability around the Chicago Police Department [...]
Over the past couple of day, we've highlighted statements of disgust from Illinois congressmen and candidates about the restrictive anti-choice amendment added to the House health care bill that passed last weekend. But abortion isn't the only hot-button issue that could complicate the Democrats' reform effort. Immigration is emerging as a potential sticking' [...]
Illinois' Financial Crisis Among Nation's Worst
The Pew Center for the States has ranked Illinois among the 10 most
financially unstable states in the nation because of the huge gap between its revenue and
spending. A looming deficit, along with a high unemployment rate, are
among several other' [...]
Some more health care news...
Moderate Democrats Voice Concerns
In her Sun-Times column this morning, Carol Marin singles out Democratic Reps. Melissa Bean and Bill Foster for their yes votes in favor of health care legislation this past weekend:
We may disagree with one another on whether, in the end, this legislation is good for America. [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
At What Cost?
Buzzflash's Meg White argues that if we can't afford to care for veterans, we can't afford to be at war.
A Soldier's Soldier
At Small Wars Journal, Robert Bateman reposts a [...]
Here's the latest news in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate:
Cheryle Jackson released an internal poll yesterday, the results of which are consistent with surveys conducted by independent outfits and other campaigns: Alexi Giannoulias holds a healthy lead but plenty of primary voters are still undecided. From [...]
Over a year ago, we wrote our first post advocating in favor of federal assistance for state governments. The reasons were simple enough: a slowing economy causes revenues to decline and demand for services like Medicaid to rise; recessions always hit states later than the federal government; and the General Assembly is [...]
Last week, a group of housing activists showed up at Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's office demanding to know why he hasn't spent a dime of the estimated $15 million collected in foreclosure filing fees on mediation services, which are proven to help people hang onto their homes. "Where is that money' [...]
As we all take a moment today to honor those in the military who have and will continue to sacrifice for us, we urge everyone to chip in and support the 131,000 veterans across the country -- including over 1,500 in Illinois -- who lack even basic shelter. And for your [...]
Sources: Deal Reached To Avoid CTA Fare Hike
Regional transit
officials and Gov. Pat Quinn have reportedly reached a deal to help the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) avoid the steep fare
hikes it has proposed. Under the plan, the Regional Transportation
Authority would issue bonds for capital projects [...]
Rep. Jan Schakowsky isn't the only Chicago Democrat taking a stand in favor of reproductive rights. In a statement released this afternoon, Rep. Mike Quigley said he too will vote against a final health care reform bill if it contains the Stupak-Pitts amendment language:
On Saturday, we entered the final stretch of a 100-year' [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
My Conversation With Goldman
Rep. Jan Schakowsky details her conversation regarding bonuses with two top
executives of Goldman Sachs, whom she describes as "visitors from
another planet."
Leaders And Laggards
Illinois
earns average grades in a new study [...]
Since our launch in March of 2008 Progress Illinois has been supported financially via a sponsorship from the SEIU Illinois State Council. Their generous committment to this project allowed us to hit the ground running during our first 20 months online. As a result, we've been able to focus our' [...]
Each fall, Cook County Clerk David Orr releases an annual tally of how much public money has been absorbed into Chicago's massive tax increment financing (TIF) system. Like clockwork, each new report reveals that hundreds of millions are whisked away from schools, parks, libraries, and other taxing bodies. The exact amount each taxpayers' [...]
With less than a week to go before the Chicago Board of Education votes on whether or not to authorize six new charter schools, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) held a round of public hearings last night. School reform advocates have long complained that CPS handpicks which charters will get the [...]
There aren't many lawmakers in Washington who have worked as hard as Rep. Jan Schakowsky to protect the reproductive rights of women. So it was with a lot of pain that the Northside Democrat ultimately swallowed a last-minute amendment to the historic health care reform bill limiting elective abortion' [...]
The unemployment insurance extension signed into law by President Obama last Friday will come as a huge relief to the roughly 30,000 Illinois workers who will exhaust their benefits by the end of the year. But the legislation won't help folks whose benefits expire on or after January 1. With the jobless rate continuing' [...]
Illinois Starts Early Prisoner Release
Under a statewide cost-cutting plan, the Illinois Department of Corrections will discharge today the first wave of Illinois prisoners -- 62 out of 1,000 -- that are scheduled for early release.
Ballot Challenges Take Shape
Yesterday was the deadline for [...]
Just because the House passed a health care reform package on Saturday night doesn't mean the "debate" about the bill's provisions is complete. First, the Senate has to pass its own version. Then both chambers will have to approve whatever legislation emerges from the conference committee. In other words, there's a lot of work' [...]
Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:
Unfinished Reform
Former Illinois Reform Commission Chair Patrick Collins writes that
reformers must remain vigilant in their fight to implement stringent
campaign finance laws.
Pelosi's Risky Strategy
Once deemed risky, the Washington Post's Ezra Klein [...]
Back in July, The Chicago Reporter exposed one of the Prairie State's dirtiest secrets. Not only are dozens of Illinois nursing homes ranked among the worst in the nation (PDF), but African-Americans are increasingly likely to receive sub-standard medical care and be housed in facilities with dangerous criminals.
Social service providers were not [...]
This week, the 19-member Pension Modernization Task Force will finalize its report on how Illinois should reform its retirement benefit program for government employees. The panel includes lawmakers, labor leaders, business representatives, and public pensioners. Because they're still deliberating, we aren't sure exactly what their recommendations will be. But details are beginning to emerge. [...]
Lots of action among the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate these past few days.
Alexi Giannoulias has received the endorsement of Rep. Luis Gutierrez (Illinois Reps. Phil Hare, Mike Quigley, and Bill Foster previously announced their support). In a statement yesterday, Gutierrez said the Giannoulias "consistently fights for the middle class, [...]
Since the Reader's Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke published their latest report on Chicago's shady tax increment financing (TIF) system, we've noted the increasing media attention being devoted to the issue, with some reporters even going so far as to refer to as a "huge problem" for' [...]
The president's top domestic policy priority is one step closer to being made law. As you've read elsewhere, the full House passed its final health care reform bill late Saturday night by a slim 220-215 margin. Although 39 Democrats eventually voted against the bill, none of Democrats hailing from President [...]
Governor Signs Cook County Veto Bill
In a rebuke to embattled Board President Todd Stroger, Gov. Pat Quinn
signed into law yesterday a measure lowering the veto override
threshold for Cook County commissioners. The law takes effect
immediately and commissioners will likely take another stab at rolling
back the controversial sales [...]
Two weeks ago, state lawmakers wrapped up the fall veto session and headed home with hopes that Illinois' financial crisis wouldn't follow them back to their own districts. So far, the bad budget news has trickled in slowly enough that many have been able to distance themselves from the severity of [...]
Angela Caputo, Progress Illinois, Adam Doster, Josh Kalven, Joshua Hoyt, Keith Kelleher
