Illinois added 15,000 union members in 2017 while its five bordering states lost 104,000 union members. Continue reading “Union Membership Increased in Illinois, Fell in Neighboring States Last Year”
Interstate 80 near Joliet is a prime example of a roadway in desperate need of improvements. Built in the 1960s as an original portion of the interstate highway system, it is a crucial east-west corridor for both the Chicago region and the nation. However, inadequate infrastructure funding on both the state and federal levels has left travelers in the lurch, subjecting them to not only the inconvenience of congestion and an inefficient roadway, but also safety issues. Continue reading “I-80: Exemplifying the Need for Infrastructure Investment”
The Winter 2018 Edition of ILEPI’s newsletter, Illinois Insights, has been released. Continue reading “Illinois Insights – Winter 2018 Edition”
Thursday Community Town Hall Meeting Convened State and Local Leaders to Discuss Local Highway Infrastructure Needs Joliet: As highlighted at a Thursday Town Hall meeting in Joliet – where state transportation leaders gathered to discuss Will County’s highway infrastructure needs – an Illinois … Continue reading New Study Says I-80 Near Joliet in “Desperate Need” of Repairs, Improvement
A new report released by the Illinois Policy Institute on prevailing wage is factually inaccurate. Here’s why.
Continue reading “The Illinois Policy Institute Receives a Failing Grade on Prevailing Wage”
Eliminating the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program would directly impact more than 464,000 people in Illinois; state and local governments would lose access to $116 million in federal funding. Continue reading “Eliminating the Community Development Block Grant Program Would Hurt the Illinois Economy”
Eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program would Hurt Students, Low-Income Families, and the Illinois Economy. Continue reading “Federal Tax Cuts Would Put Billionaires Ahead of Working Families”
The Fall 2017 Edition of ILEPI’s newsletter, Illinois Insights, has been released. Continue reading “Illinois Insights – Fall 2017 Edition”
Economic development subsidies should create jobs, increase wages, and promote positive economic growth, but these goals do not consistently prevail. Continue reading “Reforms Needed to Ensure Accountability in Economic Development Subsidies”
Subsidies play a prominent role in economic development policy at both the state and local levels in Illinois, yet subsidy policies continue to lack the strict scrutiny they deserve. Continue reading “Economic Development Subsidies Not Consistent with Socio-Economic Needs”
Since 1985, state and local governments in Illinois have doled out at least $5 billion in economic development subsidies. In particular, three companies have received over $900 million from Illinois taxpayers: Sears, Mitsubishi Motors, and Motorola. In these three cases, employment eventually fell and plants even closed despite the massive amounts of money provided. Continue reading “Illinois Has Doled Out $5 Billion in Corporate Subsidies Since 1985”
Straight out of college, men working full time earn higher incomes than women working full-time in Illinois. When incomes are evaluated by field of degree, the gender gap persists in most areas of study but disappears in science and education. Continue reading “Recent Female College Graduates Earn Less than Their Male Counterparts in Illinois, With Important Exceptions”
The Illinois Update 