The Brookings Institution and the Wilson Center entertainingly show that repealing the Davis-Bacon Act would not save taxpayer dollars.
Continue reading “Two Top U.S. Research Organizations: Repealing Davis-Bacon Act Would Save 0%”
The Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) offers suggestions for the Grammy Award-winning artist’s policy platform.
Continue reading “3 Recommended Positions If Chance the Rapper Ever Becomes Chance the Candidate”
Episode 10 of the For A Living Podcast is now available on Soundcloud and on iTunes. Continue reading “Podcast: 10 Ways Unions Benefit the Economy”
Illinois needs to revamp its system of funding public education. Continue reading “7 Alternative Ways to Fund K-12 Education in Illinois”
A new report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign seeks to understand causes of high African-American unemployment and provide solutions that have proven track records.
Continue reading “7 Ways to Reduce African-American Unemployment in Illinois”
A new study finds that public school teachers in Illinois are highly skilled and are compensated accordingly through competitive salaries. Continue reading “Illinois Teachers are Not Overpaid”
Lowering the wages of construction workers is NOT the way to prosperity.
Continue reading “Lowering Worker Wages is NOT the Answer”
It is no secret Illinois faces significant financial challenges. A new Policy Brief [PDF] by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute discusses the costs of unfunded pension liabilities and infrastructure deficits in Illinois. Full Report: Illinois’ Two-Headed Beast: Unfunded Pension Liabilities and … Continue reading Illinois’ Two-Headed Beast: Pensions and Infrastructure
Repealing Kentucky’s prevailing wage law would weaken the state’s economy, according to a new study.
Eliminating prevailing wage would cause a pay cut for middle-class workers, qualify more workers for public assistance, slash apprenticeship training, and result in more of Kentucky’s tax dollars going to out-of-state or foreign contractors. Veterans, who populate construction trades at a higher rate than non-veterans, would be particularly impacted if Kentucky were to repeal its prevailing wage standards.
Continue reading “Prevailing Wage Repeal Would Hurt Kentucky’s Economy”
A thriving economy is dependent upon affordable, low-carbon energy. As nuclear energy currently serves as a pillar of electricity production in Illinois and is emission-free, it should be looked upon to serve as the foundation of future clean energy. A Policy Brief [PDF] by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute explores nuclear energy’s role in Illinois’ energy future. State policymakers should carefully consider the path to reaching future emissions standards and the ramifications of nuclear plant retirements. Continue reading “Nuclear Energy is the Foundation for a Clean Energy Future in Illinois”
The first item that Illinois voters will see on the ballot on Tuesday is the Safe Roads Amendment. The Amendment would protect– or “lockbox”– all revenue contributed by drivers through motor fuel taxes, tollways, licenses, and vehicle registration fees and require that the money is used solely for transportation purposes.
I surveyed 110 of 578 economics and public policy academics at accredited universities and colleges in Illinois with publicly-available email addresses in August 2016. Among the many topics addressed, I presented the professors and instructors with the following question on the Safe Roads Amendment: Continue reading “More Economists and Policy Experts in Illinois Support the Safe Roads Amendment than Oppose It”
A new report by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute finds that prevailing wage repeal cannot result in “44 percent savings” in Wisconsin. Read More: Some Opponents of Prevailing Wage Are Really Bad at Math Continue reading Some Opponents of Prevailing Wage Are Really Bad at Math
The Illinois Update 