-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, an attorney from Chicago’s south side, served a few days less than a full term in the Illinois House. She defeated Ken Dunkin in the 2016 primary and was plucked as JB Pritzker’s running mate just seven months after taking office in the General Assembly.
“Of the 50 largest metro areas in the United States, Chicago has the highest unemployment rate,” said Bryce Hill, of the Illinois Policy Institute. “The state of Illinois’ job growth has been sluggish. Chicago specifically has added virtually no jobs over the last twelve months. Only 500 additional jobs have come in.”
When the Chicago Teachers Union wants to influence the Statehouse, it hands $1.3 million to nearly three-quarters of the Democrats. But when it wants to impact Chicago, it spreads $850,000 to 30 of 50 aldermen, with Socialists getting the bulk.
Between 2020-2024 the district saw a 21 percent increase in funding and an 18.7 percent increase in school staff – despite a 7.4 percent decline in students. Last year there was one employee for every 7.5 students and one teacher for every 15 students.
The new sites represent the first of more than 2,600 public DC fast charge and Level 2 ports the Illinois EPA plans to deploy across the State.
“To completely remove traffic stops would be a non-starter in this city,” police Supt. Larry Snelling said at a December public hearing. “Robberies would increase, carjackings would increase, shootings would increase.”
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s questioning started with what plans the Secret Service has for future events, such as the Democratic National Convention, which is happening next month in Chicago.
That Illinois median of $5,055 was also more than double the national property tax bill of $2,457.
Homeowners in half of Illinois’ 102 counties saw their property taxes grow faster than inflation from 2018 to 2022.
“Near the end of first grade, we moved to a black neighborhood in Chicago Heights—white families were moving out as we moved in. … We were one of five white families on my block. Most of my friends and classmates did not look like me during this time. Race among my black friends and playmates was not an everyday topic for us. These were the best years of my childhood.”
The task of running successful campaigns is proving to be harder for some parents or community members concerned about students’ education without having strong political ties or backing from moneyed interests. And just a day before her petitions were due in June, someone broke into Danielle Wallace’s car and snatched all of her petitions and her nephew’s sunglasses, according to the single mom from Englewood and police records.
The bill takes a parallel approach for higher ed by outlining a formula that accounts not only for the size of institutions and the types of academic programs they offer, but also demographic factors such as socioeconomic, racial and geographic diversity. The bill calls for a target of $135 million of additional funds to be appropriated annually for the next 10 years.
Jim Dey: “When people enter and exit a state, they don’t just take their personal property with them. They also take their taxable earnings. Studies have shown that those moving out have higher incomes. The Wirepoints study noted that when Illinois loses a higher-income taxpayer, ‘his income isn’t just lost for tax that year,’ but ‘every subsequent year.'”
Scott’s sister, current 24th Ward Ald. Monique Scott, was one of the party members on the selection committee, but did not ask questions during the interview portion. Their father is the late Michael Scott Sr., former head of the Chicago Board of Education and Chicago Park District.
Count this as another example of how radical the left has become just in the last ten years.
The city plans to spend $17,622,485 on Chicago Police personnel, $4,656,793 for Chicago Fire Department costs, $19,386,884 for construction costs, and $14,537,202 for equipment costs—which includes the purchase of a new police helicopter.
“The aftermath of the pandemic struck downtown Chicago like a tornado, as the work-from-home evolution crushed office building values. Rarely a week goes by without some major office building defaulting on its debt, and ownership handing the keys to their lenders. Downtown retail, too, has suffered badly, with vacancy rates topping 30 percent in the Loop. North Michigan Avenue’s vacancy rate likewise exceeds 30 percent. The sight of so many empty storefronts on the Magnificent Mile is both remarkable and depressing.”
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