Sheila A. Weinberg, of Truth in Accounting: “Illinois voters will once again go to the polls without knowing the true state of the government’s finances. If the state had to use the same accounting rules as the rest of us, the financial statements for its general and other budgeted funds would report the truth.”
The city’s pledge also includes commitments to “protect and increase access for all safe reproductive, obstetric, and gynecological healthcare” and “build capacity for anti-racist leadership” while addressing “racial and health disparities experienced by people of color.”
“I just wanted to caution our freshman and sophomore colleagues in the council that the last time we were given less than two weeks to vet and approve a deal it blew up in our faces and it was called the parking meter deal,” Ald. Brendan Reilly.
The proposed map will create 16 wards with Black majorities and 14 with Latino majorities, sources said. That’s one fewer Latino ward than the City Council Latino Caucus spent months fighting to secure.
“When society loses the will to pursue those who are suspected of misdemeanor or nuisance crimes, it signals to lawbreakers up and down the food chain that they can act with impunity. The city needs leaders who are willing to exercise their full authority to enforce significant consequences for those who steal, harass or assault residents and visitors, damage public and private property, engage in flash mobs, incite civil unrest and disrupt peaceful protests.”
Officials estimate a casino could bring in $2 million dollars a year in tax revenue for police and fire pensions. Bally’s said it would spend more than $75 million on several projects to ease traffic challenges in the area and invest in safety at both the temporary and permanent casinos.
House Bill 1568, signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker Friday, aims to improve those benefits for some. The law states that state police troopers, investigators for the Secretary of State, Department of Revenue, Illinois Gaming Board, and investigators for the Office of the Attorney General would all be eligible for early retirement and an extra five years of pension payments.
Republican Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman would have been up for retention this year, but the timing of her retirement means the other six justices will appoint someone to serve in her 4th District seat until the 2024 elections. She has served on the high court since 2001.
The amendment was written so broadly it leads to a host of alarming consequences for Illinois residents.
“From the start, this whole Irvin thing has had the vibe of a campaign apparatus seeking out and building a candidate instead of the usual other way around.”
“This unit is changing lives, in matters to make sure that individuals that go into immigration court have someone in their corner, someone that is advocating for them, someone that is walking them through the process,” Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya said.
Murders and shootings remain down slightly in Chicago in 2022 compared to last year. But after highlighting several recent arrests made in cases involving shootings, robberies, carjackings or homicides, Brown said many of the suspects charged are repeat offenders. “You see a common theme here. We are arresting people over and over again with previous criminal histories getting out of jail and continuing to commit crime without any real consequences.”
The suit stated tickets had been issued, such as for an expired or non-existent city stickers or parking too close to a fire hydrant, which carried total costs of initial fines plus penalties of up to $400. They added the city issues more than 200,000 of these tickets each year. At $150 over the state limit, those estimates would equate to $300 million in illegally collected fines over the past decade.
Asked whether a mask mandate would be reinstated, a spokesperson said the district would continue to follow the Chicago Department of Public Health’s guidance. The health department on Friday issued a statement strongly encouraging masking indoors including in schools and public transportation.
“The Pritzker administration has not been transparent or forthcoming about what if any long-term plans are in place for Illinois prisons, which is a major reason why this process needs legislative oversight,” said state Sen. Jason Barickman. “The Pontiac Correctional Center is an important economic and employment anchor for the region. Any discussion about the future of the facility should have all of the stakeholders at the table.”
Convicted burglar Charles Miles’ case was the first in Cook County to be argued before a judge since Foxx announced in March that her office had selected three long-serving inmates for potential early release under the new law. The law allows a judge to resentence an inmate recommended by prosecutors if the original sentence “no longer serves the interests of justice.”
“As of this July 1, the base salary for an Illinois legislator is $72,906 a year. The median household income in Illinois is $68,000.”
Supermarkets now must show the regular and sale price of items as they are rung up so customers can immediately learn if they are getting discounts.
Michael Fassnacht, president and CEO of World Business Chicago and chief marketing officer of the city of Chicago: “Positive business momentum underway in Chicago is palatable…. When future generations look back at this time in our city’s history, I am confident that our efforts driving record-breaking economic growth will be seen as the catalyst that fueled a new and more equitable Chicago.”
Average gasoline prices in Chicago have risen 20.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.80 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of more than 1,400 gas stations in Chicago.
“We still need to add more resources to our downtown to our CTA as well as to all of our city” CPD Supt. David Brown said, as the summer months approach.
Illinois is also dealing with a 60% increase in unemployment claims when compared to 2019, which is the fourth worst in the nation behind only Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan.
Illinoisans currently pay 24 new taxes and fees, including the doubled gas tax, since Pritzker took office. His election-year “relief” follows $5.24 billion in new taxes he’s imposed. All these added taxes make tough economic times hurt Illinoisans more than other states’ residents.
“Democrats nationwide and especially in Illinois are failing on the economy, crime, and education standards. Now they believe they have a platform they can campaign and win on: a progressive social agenda. This is the type of ‘flashy’ agenda that Gov. Pritzker wants to run on. An agenda that gets his tweets featured on national news, that fires up his progressive base, and that distracts from his failed governing record.”
In addition to rating governments on meaningful financial criteria, in March the biggest of the top three credit-rating firms began to apply an environmental, social and governance, or ESG, rating system.
“While many of us now use smartphones for directions, paper maps remain an important resource,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “When your phone dies or you drive out of range, paper maps will show you the way.”
Citywide, about 80% of households have internet access, but researchers with the University of Chicago’s Internet Equity Initiative said there is a nearly 40 percentage-point difference between certain neighborhoods. Chicago Public Schools faced a huge hurdle pivoting to online learning at the start of the pandemic when nearly 100,000 families lacked internet access.
“…(Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs chief of staff Anthony) Kolbeck ‘inquired about a site visit and about rapid tests and inquired about getting antibody treatments. From the documents reviewed, (health department officials) 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,’ the auditor’s report states.”
CPS said last year it identified 4,265 students who qualified for the Virtual Academy and received more than 700 applications, a number that reflects some students resubmitting paperwork. At least 200 students were denied admission. Around 450 students were enrolled in the Virtual Academy on the 20th day of school, according to CPS data.
“It would be foolish not to acknowledge the risks involved here. But it would be equally foolish to ignore the risks inherent in taking no action.”
Violent crime in Decatur, Illinois jumped a sharp 64 percent in 2021 compared to pre-George Floyd 2019. There’s better news overall in the first four months of 2022: overall violent crime is down 35 percent.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic Party will host a high dollar fundraising reception with President Joe Biden in Chicago on Wednesday evening, with the top ticket price $365,000, the Sun-Times has learned.
The change in temporary location happened seemingly under the radar in March. The day the change occurred, a donation of $6,000 from Albert Friedman was accepted by Lightfoot’s campaign. Friedman’s company currently owns the Medinah Temple.
Between hundreds of children dying in DCFS care, lack of residential beds, caseworker deaths, and a general overload of the system, the department has faced several attacks and calls for reform. The department resides under the executive branch of the state government, meaning current Governor JB Pritzker is the person who can have the ability to completely rebuild the agency.
“It’s the economic engine of the city, generating millions in tax revenue and tourism dollars. And the additional violence downtown strains resources in a police department that is struggling to address decades of consistently higher rates of violence in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Downtown is also the civic heartbeat of the city, a place where Chicagoans from Rogers Park to Roseland come together for concerts, to hit the beach, spread out on a lawn for a picnic, gaze into the mirrored Bean or splash in the fountain at Millennium Park.”
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