Illinois Policy Institute Update

December 4, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Chicago, Cook County, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Free Trade, GOP, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Liberals, Society/Culture, State Government, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston |

Nothing to See Here, Folks…
The leaked e-mails of the Climategate scandal have been nothing short of stunning—except, of course, to the true believers in the White House. You can watch Obama’s press secretary Robert Gibbs in full denial mode by clicking the image above. Meanwhile, stay tuned for our newest report, set for release next week, which shows the direct consequences of cap and trade schemes for Illinois.

That Better Be Some Spicy Hot Sauce!
In 2008, Illinois state government spent $7,875 on “bird testing,” $20,692.24 on “subscriptions” for the Governor’s office, $3,770 for golf carts, $2,822 on hot sauce, and $280 on soy crayons – all funded by Illinois taxpayers.

How do we know? Our new website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, details state spending down to the agency, person, and penny. With this new transparency tool, you can track Illinois state spending, including payroll and pension information for government employees. What will you uncover? You can learn more here.

Gifts of the Free Market:
Last Chance to Register!
It’s now less than a week until the Institute’s holiday party, and some tickets are still available! Read about the exciting speakers we have scheduled and a plan of the evening’s events here. Contact Katie Truesdell to register today!

Our State’s Dishonorable Mentions
Politicians in Illinois don’t exactly have the reputation of being squeaky clean. This week, Jerry Agar highlights some of the larger blemishes on our state with his list of the 10 most corrupt politicians in Illinois history. And as much as we hate to admit it, there are probably some elected officials today that could be added to the list. Maybe you can help uncover the next.

Chicago Just Got .5% Cheaper
With its override of Todd Stroger’s veto, the Cook County Board finally managed to lower the Cook County sales tax by .5%. Surprisingly, one of the best ideas to come out of the debacle came from…that’s right…Stroger himself. Richard Lorenc writes all about it in this week’s Examiner.

An Eye on the Stimulus
Speaking of keeping an eye on how the government is spending your money, we encourage you to visit the Mercatus Center’s Stimulus Watch website. Similar to IllinoisOpenGov.org, this website collects its data directly from the government, focusing on the stimulus bill. With $787 billion dollars being spent, we’re sure there’s much more than fake congressional districts amiss. Click here to learn more.

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