Illinois Policy
@illinoispolicy • 47,259 subscribers
Fighting corruption, high taxes, poverty, and barriers to progress and innovation in Illinois and Chicago.
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The debate over the Chicago Bears moving to Arlington Heights is hiding a massive loophole that will increase property taxes regardless of where you live in Illinois. Lawmakers are pushing a bill to keep the team from leaving for Indiana, but if it passes it was set a dangerous precedent for state government accountability. The bill would establish a framework allowing any local government in Illinois to grant massive tax breaks for so-called "mega-projects" (defined simply as any commercial development investing $100 million over 7 to 10 years). Here is the catch: Cities can raise property taxes based on the project's value, but they are legally barred from collecting that increase from the development itself. The financial burden falls entirely on local homeowners.
Illinois Policy30,203 次观看 • 5 个月前
🚨NEW EPISODE Is Chicago trapped in a death spiral—or is it actually massively undervalued? We sat down with investor Stuart Loren on the latest Illinois Policy Podcast to crunch the numbers on Chicago's economy. His findings are striking: The average Chicago worker is 10% poorer than 5 years ago The city is growing at a fraction of Austin and Nashville's rate ...But Chicago's "stock price" might be perfect for certain investors. We also cover: ✅the reality of the city's pension crisis ✅crime and public safety by the numbers ✅ Chicago Bears stadium standoff ✅the crisis at CPS - Chicago Public Schools
Illinois Policy37,190 次观看 • 8 个月前
.Illinois Tollway wants to hike your tolls by 57%, and automatically raise them every two years after that. Is a $26.5 billion infrastructure overhaul necessary when the tollway board is already sitting on a $1.3 billion surplus? A few facts up front: >The 15-year plan would raise passenger tolls by ~45¢ per toll (57% overall), costing average commuters over $225 extra per year. >Commercial trucks are facing a 30% toll increase, which would add to the cost of consumer goods across Illinois. >The tollway is currently in its second year of a fully funded 7-year capital plan ("Bridging the Future"). >It is already taking in $1.3 billion more in revenue than it costs to maintain the roads. Our team joined WTTW - Chicago PBS's "Chicago Tonight" to break down the numbers and explain why lawmakers should reject this plan.
Illinois Policy11,996 次观看 • 3 个月前
ICYMI: Brandon Johnson announced a property tax hike to avoid a fight with the city's public sector unions. His former employer is the Chicago Teachers Union, which bankrolled his candidacy. Here's a supercut of him lying through his teeth, vowing not to raise property taxes.
Illinois Policy52,554 次观看 • 2 年前
Every time you think the Chicago Teachers Union couldn't possibly reach a new low, they appear out of nowhere and reach a new low: CPS - Chicago Public Schools passed a budget just yesterday that is so wildly reckless and irresponsible that it very literally risks forcing teachers to go without pay for weeks. Chicago Teachers Union-allied school board members rejected a balanced proposal and instead voted to approve a spending plan that reverses planned spending cuts and intentionally puts the CPS $150 million in the hole. (Non-CTU board members attempted to vote the newer insane budget down). But why would CTU risk their own dues-paying members' paychecks? Oh, that's easy: to manufacture a crisis that brings Governor JB Pritzker and state lawmakers to their knees and pour more taxpayer money in the form of a massive bailout. Every school board seat is on the ballot this November. Chicago Teachers Union-aligned school board members must be held accountable.
Illinois Policy10,682 次观看 • 3 个月前
.Governor JB Pritzker discovered a way to raise taxes on Illinoisans without requiring state lawmakers to take a public vote. And Springfield looks like it's about to use it on your daily commute. Allow us to explain: Normally, if a governor wants more of your money, they have to propose a tax hike, debate it in the legislature, and face the voters. (It’s called accountability.) But Pritzker found a loophole: The Automatic Inflation Tax. Years ago, he signed a law tying the state gas tax directly to inflation. That means when inflation spikes and your budget is stretched to the breaking point, your taxes automatically go up. The result? The four biggest tax hike years in Illinois history have all happened under this one administration. In practice, it's taxation on autopilot. Now, they are taking this exact same playbook and aiming it at the Illinois toll roads. If they succeed, your toll bills will automatically increase every time inflation ticks up. And they are relying on you being too distracted to notice the automatic deductions draining your bank account. But! There is a window to stop it. The toll board hasn't finalized this yet.
Illinois Policy15,500 次观看 • 7 个月前
Illinois passed New York for the highest tax burden in America and almost nobody is talking about it. Here's the exact timeline: >state spending rose 72% over a single decade >the population shrank during the same period >therefore, the per-taxpayer burden increased dramatically >Illinois overtook every other state in the ranking Before Governor JB Pritzker took office, spending was already high. But since then, it's accelerated to the point where Illinois stands alone at the top of a list no sitting governor should ever want to be on. The conversation in Springfield is always about revenue (i.e., how to get more of your money). It's never about how to do more with what they already take. That's the problem.
Illinois Policy13,741 次观看 • 6 个月前
🚨NEW EPISODE If your city had to spend 30-35% of its revenue on pensions and retiree benefits, what would you prefer that it cut first: 🚩infrastructure 🚩police and fire 🚩schools 🚩services for the needy In Chicago, this question is no longer a mere thought experiment. On the latest episode of the Illinois Policy Podcast, JPMorgan's Michael Cembalest breaks down Chicago's current crisis and explains how municipal debt, crime, and fiscal policy influence a city's long-term competitiveness. It boils down to this: Political leaders can either stand up to public sector unions and manage pensions with discipline, or allow them to cannibalize public safety and basic services. Check it. ⬇️
Illinois Policy11,049 次观看 • 10 个月前
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