-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Boeing Co., a leading defense contractor and one of the world’s two dominant manufacturers of airline planes, announced Thursday it is moving its global headquarters from Chicago to Virginia.
Robberies are increasing even though ridership on the train system is depressed due to COVID and the growing work-from-home trend.
P4 is paid for by neighbors and businesses in the areas they patrol. Costs for such services is about $180,000 per year.
“The solution is motorists obeying local traffic laws, and when they don’t, the Chicago Police Department needs to crack down on that illegal activity,” Ald. Brendan Reilly said. “I don’t see a scenario where the city will ever provide a drag racing facility.”
“According to Chicago’s CFO, Jennie Huang Bennett, the casino is projected to bring in $200 million a year into city coffers when it opens in the first quarter of 2026, with Kim throwing in another $4 million per year. The news Thursday also included an unexpected location for a temporary casino, projected to open in the third quarter of 2023: the Medinah Temple building (recently a Bloomingdale’s home store) at 600 N. Wabash Ave., most likely a surprise to residents living around there.”
These gas station owners all across the city said they’re a victim of the neighborhood their shops are in, so they’ve added the proper security with all these cameras posted. But even with that protection, they said the city is still wrongfully shutting them down for days.
The report shows that Illinois serves the fewest people per government unit of the ten largest states.
After the audit’s release, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, without naming names, blamed Republicans for what he said was their questioning of COVID-19 mitigation measures. “You know all the people, the people who represented the area, the Republicans in general, you heard many of them, and some of them are still saying it even now, that ‘you didn’t need to wear a mask, don’t worry about it. Some of them aren’t even vaccinated or have chosen to tell other people they don’t need to get vaccinated. We were fighting all of that and the pandemic.”
More than 1,200 workers are involved in the construction process, with 200 jobs employed long-term to operate the facility. Over the course of its first 20 years, officials estimate $60 million to $100 million in property tax revenue for local DeKalb taxing bodies.
“The upgrade to ‘BBB+’ reflects fundamental improvements in Illinois’ fiscal resilience including full unwinding of pandemic-era and certain pre-pandemic non-recurring fiscal measures, meaningful contributions to reserves and sustained evidence of more normal fiscal decision-making,” the agency said in its announcement.
With 19,000 workers still laid off, according to Michael Jacobson, president and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, Illinois’ hotels and lodging businesses are struggling to find their feet. “The biggest headwind we face is the perception around crime and public safety,” he said. “It’s not unique to just Chicago; it’s really an issue we’re seeing issues with across the state.”
Chicago’s teacher union argued that the end of Roe v. Wade — which would not make abortion illegal nationwide — is aimed at teachers because a majority in the profession are female. “The same forces that want to erase Black history and Black votes, trample the rights of rights [sic] of transgender students and our queer siblings, and build walls around our country are continuing their attacks by threatening a women’s right to choose,” the union tweeted.
The estimated value of City of Chicago real property has grown 62.3% since its trough in 2012 and property in the North Triad by 46.4% and the South Triad by 40.6%.
“This will motivate both sides but it’s probably going to help Democrats most by motivating their base,” Edgar said. “It will have a huge impact, and I don’t know that it will be good. It’s going to be a one-issue campaign” in statehouse and congressional campaigns.
“Now that Bally’s has nailed down a labor agreement, including a promise to pay its unionized workforce a ‘living wage,’ Lightfoot is counting on organized labor to help her muscle the site through the council. Union leaders will undoubtedly attempt to portray any alderperson who dares to oppose Bally’s plan as anti-union and anti-jobs. They will further attempt to frame the argument the way Lightfoot and Burnett have: as a choice between Bally’s and a post-election property tax increase to save police and fire pensions.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has picked Bally’s to build a $1.7 billion casino and resort at the Tribune Publishing site at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street in River West. She still needs City Council and the Illinois Gaming Board to sign off on the company.
The report from the Illinois auditor general, released Thursday, says the Illinois Department of Public Health “did not offer any advice or assistance as to how to slow the spread at the Home, offer to provide additional rapid COVID-19 tests, and were unsure of the availability of the antibody treatments for long-term care settings prior to being requested by the IDVA Chief of Staff.”
Most of the company’s operational staff is in Washington and Crain’s reported that Boeing only has about 400 employees working in Chicago. The company’s current headquarters are located in a high-rise building overlooking the Chicago River in the West Loop.
“Responsible fiscal management means taking every action possible to address our pension obligations while honoring promises made to current and retired workers – promises made by governors and legislators on both sides of the aisle,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The expansion of this bipartisan pension buyout program builds on Democrats’ work this session to save taxpayers nearly $2 billion in pension liabilities by paying down our pension debt in advance.”
Says broker Deb Sarsany, “I don’t know if there’s a word in the dictionary that actually describes it.” In March of 2021, there more than 200 homes on the market in Sangamon County. But this year, there are just over 100.
The Illinois Association of County Veterans Assistance Commissions says Illinois was 52nd in the nation in providing benefits to veterans despite having the 10th largest veteran population before the legislation was passed.
According to a survey of more than 2,000 people from the River North Residents Association, more than 80 percent of them strongly oppose Bally’s proposal. But the mayor said in a tweet, “The Chicago casino will generate jobs for the City – guaranteeing 3,000 construction jobs per year & 3,000 permanent jobs. The casino will also support the police and fire pensions. Bally’s Chicago will be a luxury destination for residents and tourists all year long.”
While “free” federal money might make Illinois’ finances look better temporarily, the state continues to struggle where it really matters – economic growth and job creation. Since the beginning of 2019 when Gov. Pritzker took office, Illinois has continued to lag most of the nation in GDP growth and its unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the country.
Violent crime – which includes murder, robbery, criminal sexual assault and aggravated assault/battery – was up 38 percent in 2021 in Aurora versus the baseline pre-Covid, pre-George Floyd year of 2019.
Mark Glennon spoke with Matt Bubala and Andrea Darlas on WLS-AM 890 about the latest double-talk surrounding Amendment 1. Unions claim the amendment is all about workplace safety, but it’s really about an unprecedented expansion of public union powers.
At issue is whether the state can favor license applicants who live in Illinois; Federal courts have struck down similar requirements in Maine, Michigan and Missouri, potentially opening licensing to much greater competition nationwide.
“If more people are on the tax sale rolls; if more people pay more money, the other people who already live in houses would be paying less,” treasurer Maria Pappas said. “So this is a question of economic development.”
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