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Comptrollers Susana A. Mendoza, of Illinois and Kevin Lembo of Connecticut: “The people of our states need us now more than ever, and demand for state services has never been higher. We fund the social service agencies, medical clinics and hospitals doing far more with less now than they were before the pandemic.”
State Rep. Tom Demmer: “But the reality is, families and businesses in Illinois have been hit far harder by COVID-19 than state government has. We must prioritize aid to the people of Illinois over a bailout of our bureaucracy. And we should work to reduce state government spending, just as every family, business and organization has found it necessary to do during the pandemic.”
The program is intended to help students who usually receive free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch but who haven’t had access to in-school meals during the pandemic. Since CPS participates in a federal program that provides free lunch for all students in the district, every CPS student is eligible and will automatically receive the benefits in the mail.
“What is clear is that under this policy, the city will be demanding more money from Chicagoans who have already been coping with the financial damage brought on by the pandemic…It’s another cost to living in the city at a time the city is struggling to attract new residents.”
Mack Julion, president of Chicago’s postal workers union the National Association of Letter Carriers Local 11, says the service has been understaffed for at least the last 18 months.
Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey comments on the return to in-person learning for thousands of Chicago Public Schools students, but also the upcoming negotiations to reopen high schools and the progress in getting teachers the vaccinations they demanded during the last series of negotiations with CPS leaders.
Since the pandemic, 214 shows have been canceled. That amounts to more than 3.2 million in lost attendance. And a state and Chicago economic impact of nearly $2.9 billion.
According to bill sponsor, Rep. Kambium Buckner, the bill would create a needs-based plan for the upkeep of IDOT assets relating to public transportation, and would require IDOT to develop a performance-based model for selecting what projects the department will fund in order to maximize taxpayer investments.
“If there is a federal relief package, we’re hoping the money will flow directly to communities and without additional restriction put on by the state which was the case with the federal CARES Act last year,” Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole said. “That money can’t be in lieu of our regular state-shared resources that provide for the operations of the community just in regular times.”
By comparison, the Legionnaires’ outbreak over three years at the Quincy home killed 13. The COVID-19 outbreak last fall in LaSalle killed at least 36 veterans in a matter of weeks.
Funding earmarked for education continues to be diverted from classrooms and spent on pensions and excess district-level administration. From 2000 through 2020, spending on teacher and administrator pensions increased by 200%, while spending in the classroom rose just 20% for K-12 schools.
An extra $93.9 million in property taxes will be collected this year to support the city of Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot projected the city tax hike would be $56 on the median home valued at $250,000.
Hyzon Motors said it will begin manufacturing in a 28,000-square-foot facility at 599 S. Schmidt Road and hire about 50 people by year-end. It will start construction on an 80,000-square-foot building and grow to about 100 employees next year.
“Like his Democratic counterpart in Madison, in Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) has also unveiled a budget that raises the state tax burden for households while reducing schooling options…While Governor Pritzker’s devaluation of scholarship-related tax credits would reduce school choice, his other tax proposals would harm numerous economic sectors.”
Combined, the two events – hosted by the National Restaurant Association and the the International Housewares Association were estimated to attract 126,000 exhibitors and attendees, and generate a regional economic impact of almost $210 million, said spokesperson Cynthia McCafferty. (via Yahoo News)
Ald. Robin Rue Simmons said she didn’t start her elected career “even discussing reparations. It was not something I had planned to pursue,” she said. “I was looking at data,” she continued. “I was looking at what we had done, what more we could do, and reparations was the only answer.”
Said University of Illinois economist J. Fred Giertz, “The shutdowns and the threat of the virus suppressed demand. The return to near-normal anticipated in the next few months with the availability of various vaccines and the likelihood of additional federal stimulus spending are expected to unleash some of that pent-up demand.”
Washington sent supplements of $600 a week. Since the pandemic ravaged low-wage sectors like retail sales and restaurants, adding $600 a week to the lowest unemployment benefits pushed many recipients’ purchasing power above what they had while working.
In Illinois, for example, per capita personal income actually rose as the pandemic kicked in. It climbed to $66,224 in the second quarter, from $59,896 in the first, according to the state’s Office of Management and Budget.
“Today’s EUA is a game changer in our efforts to combat COVID-19 across Illinois and the United States,” said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. “When the pandemic struck, the University of Illinois answered the call — and this rapid, low-cost saliva-testing program could be the key to dramatically expanding our testing infrastructure.”
The No Exit Bonus plan would not save so much money as to impact the state’s billions of dollars of debt, Mendoza acknowledged. “It’s an issue of principle. It’s an issue of ethics It’s anti-taxpayer. It’s a slap in the face of taxpayers, actually. It’s infuriating. And that’s why we’re going to end it.”
“The way Illinois got into its fiscal mess is by not honoring obligations and our citizens continue to have their trust eroded by actions like this,” state Rep. Jeff Keicher said in a statement. “For the Governor to suggest that delaying $100 million in critical capital improvements speaks of his inability to balance a budget. It does not show the leadership Illinois needs in a time of crisis.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has defended the decision as an imperative to “keep communities safe.” Still, she’s drawn criticism for adding to the city’s history of balancing the budget through fines and fees that hit hard on low-income residents.
“…There has never been a revenue problem in Illinois; but there is an ongoing spending problem. Tax dollars are like crack to the Illinois government bureaucrats,” said Jim Tobin, economist and president of TEF.
“Preservation Chicago decried the demolition of what it called historic buildings, but area residents haven’t raised an outcry. The developer claims the buildings are too dilapidated to be saved. In any case, Chicago has been ripping out its industrial sinew for a long time. Why stop here?”
The number of people fleeing the Chicago metro area increased by 14% compared to the previous three years, but the number of people moving in dropped by more than double that – 29%.
At $63 billion and counting, the racket is shattering records and making Charles Ponzi look like a bush-leaguer.
“It was a test of stewardship at a time the city needed it the most. It’s clear both Lightfoot and Brown failed the test.”
Police acknowledged the freezing, snowy weather that swept across the city in February may have played a role in reducing carjackings. Meanwhile, shooting incidents reported in February were the highest they have been for the month in the last four years, police said.
Former state Rep. Edward Guerra Kodatt in an email declined to take the salary he was entitled to under state law, according to Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who had called on Kodatt to not take the full month’s pay of $5,788.66.
Four of the shooting victims were under age 18.
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