Ted Dabrowski was on with Jeff Berkowitz on the Illinois Channel last week. They discussed a variety of topics, from crime to COVID mandates to K-12 education to pensions.
Some excerpts:
- Want to stop violent crime? Treat criminals as criminals, not as victims.
- Illinois needs to cut high taxes sharply. Illinois’ 2nd-highest property taxes are causing declining property values and making Illinois a national outlier in population losses.
- Illinois needs to reform education by empowering parents with school choice.
- Re-structure and reform public sector pensions, starting with an amendment to the Illinois Constitution.
- Remove all COVID-19 mandates and emergency gubernatorial powers that led to shutdowns, which many studies show did almost nothing for public health but did a lot to harm the economy, jobs, employers, employees and school children.
Read more about some of the topics discussed:
- The Mask Is Off: Illinois Has No Science Behind Its School Masking Mandate
- Illinois pension shortfall surpasses $500 billion, average debt burden now $110,000 per household
- Chicago’s homicide problem dwarfs those in New York, Los Angeles
- New U.S. Census data: Illinois education spending soars while outcomes flatline
Details emerging about Chicago Teachers Union’s upcoming contract show just how divorced its demands, both extreme and expensive, are from the reality at Chicago schools. It’s not just about massive salary increases, but also about money for migrant students, climate initiatives, abortions and gender-affirming care. About blocking parental notification. Count on CTU’s demands to veer further from reality until the public finally says no. 
Weekly crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department: Report through 5/4/2024.
Gov. JB Pritzker calls it “ethics” reform.
It’s rare to see city leaders in Chicago take an open, unabashed stance on the collapse of literacy. To complain is deemed as too political, too racist or too anti-public schools. So it’s refreshing to see Willie Wilson, a successful businessman and leader of the black community, call for a literacy initiative “with the goal of getting 100% of Black students reading at grade level.”
You forgot political reform Ted. If you have money, you can buy most any office. If you can’t get elected, you can influence policy greatly. You can bribe most pols and get huge returns for your contributions through jobs, contracts, tax breaks and the like. None of the above changes will come to fruition with our current system. term limits public financing of campaigns no PACS no lobbyists ban “legislators“ from lobbying end lifetime blue cross for legislators and all state employees strict ethics laws with draconian penalties for violation We must take most of the money out of politics… Read more »