-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Illinois is among the highest taxed states in the entire country, Alignable’s head researcher Chuck Casto said, which is affecting the state’s small businesses. “In June, 44% of Illinois small businesses were unable to pay their rent. That is up 17% from May. So even with the slight decrease in July, they are still up by that 40% range.”
Illinoisans who employ domestic workers like nannies, caregivers or housekeepers have new policies they must follow like paying state’s minimum wage law. New rules finalized by the Illinois Department of Labor announced effective Monday include ensuring overtime pay, meal times and rest periods.
“It’s not so direct in the case of these college savings plans, but there may be indirect forms of pressure from the state to bolster the position of people in these plans that isn’t available for people trying to save on their own for education,” Independent analyst Bill Bergman said.
Brad Weisenstein, of the Illinois Policy Institute: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot insisted speed cameras were about safety around parks and schools, but her taxpayer-provided security drivers were twice caught by those cams speeding near a school while children were present. Rules for thee, but not for me.”
Many experts are concerned the nation is on the brink of – or may already be in – a recession. If true, Illinoisans could be in for a particularly tough downturn because job openings are falling most rapidly here and the state is already battling the highest unemployment rate in the Midwest.
Besides the health and safety issues, teachers unions, such as the Chicago Teachers Union, are scaring parents with myths about a teacher shortage, despite data suggesting otherwise. Across Illinois, the number of public school teachers is rising. Meanwhile, the number of students enrolled in public schools is decreasing.
The rebound was on full display at O’Hare International Airport, where operating revenues rose by $239.5 million — 26.5%.
As more cities ban new gas hookups, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has sent a letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission over venting standards and other concerns.
The declaration applies statewide, and will allow the Illinois Department of Public Health to coordinate logistics so as to aid in the distribution vaccines, and in treatment and prevention efforts. The declaration will also help coordinate the state response with the federal government.
Economist J. Fred Giertz explained, “Illinois tax revenues are returning to a more normal pattern after more than two years of unexpectedly robust growth during the recovery from the Covid crisis. Individual income tax and sales tax receipts have not kept pace with inflation over the last three months while corporate tax receipts remain strong.”
The Chicago Police Department is spread so thin that in 2021 more than half of high-priority emergency service calls were not responded to. Wirepoints blog reported this astounding figure, uncovering data through public records requests to the Chicago Police Department, showing that there were 406,829 incidents of high-priority emergency service calls where no police responded.
At the University of Chicago, student and community organizers have demanded $1 billion in “reparations” from the university to the South Side of Chicago, as part of a multi-pronged campaign asking the university to respond to its historical ties to slavery and allegations of gentrification.
Illinois’ estimated $1.83 billion relief package, which went into effect July 1, includes income and property tax rebates and a temporary cut in several sales taxes.
“An educated workforce, safe streets and lower taxes will make Chicago prosper like never before and make our great city the envy of the nation and the world.”
This mindset will likely ensure Gov. JB Pritzker’s re-election in Illinois, where the billionaire Republican donor and part-time Chicago resident Ken Griffin was willing to largely underwrite the campaign against Mr. Pritzker until his party nominated a far-right state legislator, Darren Bailey. Mr. Bailey benefited from Mr. Trump’s endorsement in the primary as well as an overt effort by Democrats to prop up the Republicans they viewed as weaker general election candidates. The meddling was particularly brazen in Illinois, where the billionaire Mr. Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association plowed nearly $35 million into ensuring Mr. Bailey’s nomination.
Illinois has a relatively low teacher vacancy rate of 1.5%, according to an October 2021 survey from the Illinois State Board of Education. THowever, teacher vacancies tend to be higher in low-income districts and for certain positions like in bilingual education or special education. And an NEA survey this year showed 55% of teachers were thinking of leaving the profession earlier than planned.
The average rent paid in Chicago was $2,904 this past June, 19.46% higher than in June 2021, according to the report of the 100 most expensive cities to rent an apartment compiled by Rent, an online search engine for rental housing nationwide. Chicago was the only city in the Midwest to make the top 100.
Asking rent in Chicago has increased by 4.5% in Chicago in the past year, according to Redfin — but some tenants have seen their rent hiked as much as 20%. Landlords might be increasing rent as they face a possible increase in property taxes, experts said.
Chalmers School of Excellence on Chicago’s West Side, lost almost a third of its enrollment during the pandemic, shrinking to 215 students. In Chicago, COVID-19 worsened declines that preceded the virus: Predominantly Black neighborhoods like Chalmers’ North Lawndale, long plagued by disinvestment, have seen an exodus of families over the past decade. The number of small schools like Chalmers is growing in many American cities as public school enrollment declines.
Through July, the number of people shot has fallen 20%, down to 1,969 from 2,455 during the same period last year.Index crimes, which include some of the most serious offenses, have increased 26% this year, according to department data.
“Half of all Illinois House races were uncontested in the past 20 years. That is by design. Gerrymandered legislative districts and arcane candidacy processes and rules work to keep incumbents and the majority party in power by denying voters choices.”
Much of the land in question is underwater, flooded to create part of Shabbona Lake State Park in the 1970s. Some is occupied by homeowners, farmers and local government. All of it is part of a much broader argument over how to compensate Indigenous people for land that was taken from them long ago.
“Everything ain’t for sale. This is our heritage. We have to take care of this,” said Tom Russell with the Canaryville Veterans Rider Association.
Here’s the latest film-flam on the Jenny Thornley matter. Smirking questions off the they way you can see Raoul and Pritzker do in the video won’t fly.
Wirepoints recently criticized Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proclamation in which he declared Illinois a “disaster area” for a 32nd consecutive 30-day period. The governor can’t have it both ways, we said. He can’t claim he’s managed Covid successfully and yet, more than two years later, continue to say Illinois is a disaster. The administration’s response is hypocritical, at best. Here’s why.
ISBE distributed updated public health guidance to all Illinois schools earlier this month, along with “detailed guidance for evaluating symptomatic students and close contacts for exclusion, and guidance regarding school testing programs,” a spokesperson said. “School districts are strongly encouraged to follow the guidance; the only requirement, however, continues to be that all school personnel must be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 at least weekly.”
Five people were killed and at least 60 others were wounded by gunfire across Chicago last weekend.
Officials estimate a financial impact of nearly $4 billion for the city by maintaining hosting rights for the festival.
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