On Friday, Block Club Chicago reported that St. Stanislaus Kostka announced the closure of its school after more than 150 years of serving children. The church and school, known as the “mother church of Chicago Polonia,” is well-known to anyone who’s driven down the Kennedy, and in fact it was nicknamed “the parish that moved…
Why we need property tax reform instead of special “PILOT” tax breaks
Now that the Bears’ journey in the playoffs is over, after one very improbable touchdown and one heartbreaking interception, it’s time to think more calmly about the future of the Bears in Illinois, and, more importantly, it’s time to move beyond the stalled debate about the proposed PILOT legislation. The bottom line is that this…
Ted Dabrowski needs your votes – and your support
The general election may be nearly a year away, but the Illinois primary election is coming up soon, only two months from now, on March 17, and Ted Dabrowski needs your support. Take a look at Ted’s story at his website TedforIllinois.com. He had a successful career in banking, including working for Citibank in Mexico…
A Call for Reform in Illinois: January 12th Policy Speech
Did you miss my speech on January 12th? Watch the full speech here.
Why reforming the House Rules is the only path to fixing Illinois
What are the House Rules? Sounds like such an obscure issue it couldn’t possibly matter but it’s crucial. You see, Illinois ranks worst among all 50 states not simply in various economic or budget metrics, but in how the government functions itself, in terms of how much political power is concentrated in the House speaker. …
How we can actually reduce property taxes: a 5 step reform proposal
Everybody’s worried about their property taxes, yet the only proposals coming from the Democratic Party in Springfield aim to “solve the problem” by shifting the burden or by increasing state taxes with the promise they’ll reduce property taxes – which may or may not happen. But there are actually ways to deal with the issue…
The cure to education? Not more money
Second in a series: the answer to Illinois’ troubles is not a money spigot. It’s a refrain we hear over and over again: to improve education, we need to spend more money. Much more money, in fact. But in reality: Illinois already spends significantly more than average and has little to show for it. School…
Gov. Pritzker, We Need These Three SAFE-T Act Reforms Immediately
The news last Monday night was shocking: a young woman was set on fire on the Blue Line, in the Loop, by a man who poured a liquid onto her head and ignited it. The report the next day was even worse: the suspect was already charged with another crime but merely released with an…
How to Actually Achieve “Affordable Housing”
This blog post is what I’ll ambitiously call the “first of a series” — because I want to demonstrate that we can, and must, move past the old, stale answers that demand government spending as the solution to every problem Illinois faces. Everyone wants “affordable housing.” But for too many politicians, “affordable” means “subsidized” —…
A call for Pritzker: To Protect Illinoisans, Veto the Assisted Suicide Bill
A week ago, Friday, in the wee hours of the morning after the last day of the Veto Session, the Illinois State Senate passed a bill that, if signed by Gov. Pritzker, would legalize assisted suicide. At this point, Pritzker has not made any statement about his plans. If it weren’t absurdly presumptuous of me…