Coal Valley supports Rauner’s labor proposals – Quad-Cities Online
May 7, 2015
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-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Business Group Asks Illinois Gov For MORE Taxes – The Daily Caller
May 7, 2015
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Comment: The Civic Federation produces very useful research but lost it’s way several years ago on how to deal with the crisis.
Madigan Calls for May 14 Vot on Right to Work Legislation – WSILTV
May 7, 2015
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Emanuel: Dual Taxation For Pensions ‘Wrong’ – CBS Chicago
May 7, 2015
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Comment: There’s debate whether, overall, Chicago schools get a bad deal from Springfield, but the numbers are clear that eliminating the double taxation for teacher pensions won’t come close to fixing the problem.
Hurt on the job? You’ll be protected – Editorial – Tribune
May 7, 2015
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“As a result of the nibble-around-the-edges approach, Illinois is still one of the states with the highest work comp costs. It puts us in a poor competitive position.”
Other States Balk at Multibillion Dollar Cost While Illinois Spends Blindly on Energy Alternatives – In Depth – WP Original
May 7, 2015
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By: Mark Glennon* “Wait a minute,” I said to an Illinois House member at a recent forum, and repeated the question to be sure I had her answer right: “You’re a leading sponsor of a massive rewrite of our energy policy that may cost billions of dollars, but you’re telling me you have no idea how much it costs? “Yes,” she answered. She is not alone and that was no isolated incident about one bill. Cost to consumers for sustainable energy is rarely measured and made available to voters, in contrast to other states. Nobody in Illinois seems to care.
Civic Federation rejects Rauner’s budget, wants new taxes
May 7, 2015
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Among the Civic Federation’s proposals: Raise the income tax, expand the sales tax, and tax retirement income. Comment: Some of that may end up being necessary, short term, but it will backfire in the longer term by running off more people and employers. A very noticeable change in The Civic Federation occurred several years ago when it went soft on many issues, particularly pension reform.
It’s a spending problem in Rock Island County – Taxpayers United
May 7, 2015
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Recent study shows there are about 930 County teachers collecting pensions of at least $50,000 annually. The median household income across the county is only $48,702 and the poverty rate is 13.3%.
Chicago apartment rent very reasonable compared to big cities – Mashable
May 7, 2015
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Report: Shutting bad schools helps pupils in Chicago, elsewhere – The Economist
May 7, 2015
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Report: Shutting bad schools helps pupils in Chicago, elsewhere – The Economist
Nuclear plant supporters rally behind plan – Pantagraph
May 7, 2015
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A coalition of power plant workers, businesses, labor, and community groups called on Illinois lawmakers Wednesday to support legislation they say will save three nuclear power stations from closing.
Illinois governor says no bailout for Chicago – Reuters
May 7, 2015
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Rauner and Emanuel both said on Wednesday that the city and the state must make sacrifices to reach a joint solution, but neither provided much detail of where compromise may be found. Illinois has the lowest credit rating of any U.S. state, which makes it expensive to borrow money.
Aldermen eye fiber-optic network as moneymaker – Sun-Times
May 7, 2015
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Chicago owns and operates a series of high-speed fiber-optic lines installed below ground by the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, the CTA and other agencies along CTA rail lines.
CEOs of satellite TV want to kill Illinois satellite TV tax – Reboot Illinois
May 7, 2015
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Cable companies in Illinois pay rent – known as a “franchise fee” – to cities and towns for digging up public roads and for hanging wires. The cable industry somehow thinks satellite consumers should pay a tax simply for providing a competing service.