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Weekly crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department: Report through 8/10/25
A deep dive into why most CPS kids can’t read. Why the Chicago Teachers Union has so much power (hint: Illinois politicians). And why empowering Chicago parents – via school choice – must be the lead reform to bring about change. The time for incrementalist reforms has long passed.
Ted joined Jeff Daly to talk about why Illinois is losing young, wealthy millennials to other states. Why should they stay in a city like Chicago, which only promises more crime and higher taxes? The loss of entrepreneurs and businesses means Gov. Pritzker has to resort to subsidies to get a single win: a Chinese company making EV batteries that the federal government won’t use due to security concerns.
Wirepoints joined Univision Chicago to discuss the expected $1 billion budget deficit coming to Chicago in 2025. Chicago returns to the same fiscal problems it faced in 2020 before the covid bailouts papered over the city’s problems for a few years. Now the federal covid money has dried up and the deficits have reappeared, exposing the city’s mismanagement of funds.
Ted joined Dan and Amy to discuss the effects of the SAFE-T Act and the chaos it has unleashed in Chicago, what the implications are for the Cook County State’s Attorney race, why Illinois has so many schools where zero kids can read or do math at grade level, and more.
Ted joined Cities 92.9’s Cat Petersen to talk about the latest attempt by Illinois’ political class to claim Illinois is growing. All the evidence, from the U.S. Census Bureau to the IRS to United Van Lines to U-Haul to Allied Van Lines, shows Illinois losing far more residents to other states than it gains. Illinois consistently ranks at the bottom of most population/migration statistics.
Ted joined Dan and Amy to talk about how the migrant crisis has Chicago in chaos, how Venezuelans are lying in order to get asylum, how researchers set to talk on gender dysmorphia have once again been ‘canceled’, how Pritzker is forcing Illinois residents to beg for an extension of the Invest in Kids Act, and more.
Jeanne Ives sat in for Bruce DuMont on Beyond the Beltway for a conversation on Illinois education along with Ted Dabrowski, Charles Lipson of the University of Chicago and Patrick Hanley of the New Trier Township Democrats. Matt Rosenberg joined the program in its second half to talk about Chicago’s increasing crime problem and the dangers of the SAFE-T Act.
Ted was on Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan and Amy to take a closer look at the dismal 2022 education results that Gov. Pritzker said shows “great promise.” Ted pointed out that Gov. Pritzker’s spin is only skin-deep. Peel back his “achievements” on graduation rates, growth and teacher hiring and you’re left with a simple fact: students’ reading proficiency fell again in 2022.
Ted went on Flannery Fired Up with Mark Poulos of Workers Rights to debate Amendment 1, which voters will decide this coming election day. Ted highlighted the crucial point that proponents want Illinoisans to ignore: that the new rights in the amendment will only apply to government workers.
Ted was on Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan and Amy to warn Illinoisans about the utter collapse of student outcomes during Pritzker’s COVID lockdowns, how Amendment 1 could lead to police and firefighter strikes and more.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joined Tom Miller on the WJPF Morning Newswatch to discuss Illinois’ unemployment rate being the worst in the country, the abysmal educational outcomes in Illinois before and after COVID, why a state credit upgrade is meaningless and the perils of the SAFE-T Act.
Ted was on Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan and Amy to discuss Gov. Pritzker’s 35th Covid Disaster Proclamation. It’s been 950 days that Illinoisans have lived under emergency rules unilaterally set by the governor. Gov. Pritzker has maintained these emergency rules for more than two-thirds of his time in office.
Ted joined Steve Cochran to discuss how Chicago Public Schools is spending a record $29,000 per student yet tens of thousands of students end up graduating neither college nor career ready. Nobody in the system cares because no one is held accountable.
Ted Dabrowski joined Perri Small on WVON to talk about Amendment 1. Perri was in favor of the Amendment, but after hearing both sides of the argument from Ted and others, she changed to a “No.”
Ted was on with Dan and Amy to discuss the contradictions surrounding the “Workers Rights Amendment,” on the ballot for voters to decide this November.
According to the Illinois Report Card, 100 percent of CPS teachers in 2021 were “evaluated as excellent or proficient by an administrator or other evaluator trained in performance evaluations.” Yet, only 11 percent of black students and 17 percent of Hispanic children in the entire district could read at grade level in 2021.
Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski joins Mary Ann Ahern of NBC 5 to discuss the upcoming “Workers’ Rights” Amendment, also known as Amendment 1. Dabrowski pointed out, “The more powers you give the government unions to negotiate over taxpayers, the more it’s going to cost.” And that, “It’s hard to imagine how property taxes will ever come down. You can only see them ratcheting up.”
Ted joined Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson this week to discuss the fundamental problems JB Pritzker has campaigning for tourism to attract people to Illinois as Cook County hits over a thousand murders.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joined WXAN radio host Will Stephens to discuss the causes and implications of Illinois’ record population loss in 2021. Dabrowski explained that the measure of population loss is meaningful because it captures all of the factors affecting the quality of life in Illinois: taxes, pandemic mandates, crime rates, finances and family values.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joined Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson on Chicago’s Morning Answer to discuss Kim Foxx’s role in the prosecution of Jussie Smollett, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s inaction on rising crime rates, and Gov. JB Pritzker’s 24 consecutive Executive Orders.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joined Amy Jacobson and John Anthony on Chicago’s Morning Answer. They discussed vaccine mandates, school policy regarding the spread of COVID-19, and the surge of crime in Chicago. “Criminals right now, in the eyes of those in charge, are victims, and we are ignoring the true victims,” Dabrowski said. “All that has got to change. We’ve got to get serious about prosecuting. That’s the bottom line.”
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joined Tom Miller on WJPF Morning Newswatch in Carbondale. They discussed how the governor’s limitless spending habits – in some cases unchecked by the General Assembly – are wreaking havoc on multiple fronts.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joined Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson on Chicago’s Morning Answer. Illinois continues to lose population across all demographics due to multiple reasons. Illinois is the least-tax friendly state, growing crime, massive pension debt, hostility toward families and more.
Today, we’re launching a new feature on a separate page called Quickpoints.
Moody’s estimates the shortfall in Illinois’ five state-run pension funds will jump to $261 billion in 2020
Wirepoints lays out a baseline restructuring for Illinois’ five state-run pension plans and the retiree health insurance plan for state workers. The plan significantly reduces Illinois’ retirement debts, helping Illinois escape its downward spiral. By reforming pensions, we can avoid tax hikes and reestablish a competitive level of services, tax rates and economic growth for Illinois.
State and federal case law is clear. Amending the Illinois Constitution and passing comprehensive pension reform is both possible and essential. Only a lack of political will stands in the way.
Watch live at noon, a graduated income tax discussion hosted by Illinois State Representative Joe Sosnowski.
Ted was on WJPF radio this week talking to Tom Miller about the total pension promises made to government workers for the state’s five pension funds.
Underfunding isn’t the problem. The true cause of Illinois’ crisis has been the dramatic overpromising of benefits.