$40K for Façade Improvements
Between September 2008 and August 2010, the Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development in Canton, Illinois received a $40,000 grant as part of the Grant Management Program. This program allows the General Assembly and…
State Spends $100k on New Art Exhibit
In 2009, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded a $100,000 Tourism Attraction Grant to the Art Institute of Chicago for the Becoming Edvard Munch Exhibit (under “Search Grants by Organization” search Art Institute of Chicago). According…
Daley Proposes Dipping into TIF Reserves to Balance Budget
Mayor Daley went forward with his plans to use TIF reserves in order to “balance” his proposed FY2011 budget, leaving it to his future replacement to tackle the inherent problems that led the city into a…
Rahm on TIF
Not many people understand tax increment financing (TIF) very well, and the lack of transparency in the TIF process, particularly in Chicago, leaves many taxpayers unaware of exactly where TIF developments are located, how many tax dollars are…
Illinois Begging Companies Not to Leave
Governor Quinn recently announced a new $7 million “business investment package” that will keep U.S. Cellular’s headquarters in Illinois. The package is part of the state’s Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Program (EDGE).…
Who Brings Home the Pork from Washington?
With the release of the 2010 Capital Bill Piglet Book highlighting wasteful spending by the state, I was curious to see what kind of wasteful spending was taking place at the federal level on behalf of Illinois.
This…
Illinois, Behind in Bills, Decides to Spend More
Despite Illinois’s record deficit and $6 billion in unpaid bills, Governor Quinn recently announced $50 million in new spending for the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative. The Initiative would focus on job training for adults and small businesses and also…
State Government Spends $300,000 on Polar Play Zone
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity authorized a $300,000 grant to the Shedd Aquarium Society for a Polar Play Zone Exhibit. According to the DCEO, the funds were used to assist in the development of the exhibit design and…
What About That $162 Million?
Although Recovery.gov promised transparency on how the government spends every dollar of stimulus money, USA Today reports “there’s $162 million the website doesn’t disclose,” finding:
Recipients of 352 federal stimulus contracts, grants and loans have failed to report
…
Over 20% of State Police Employees Receive $100k+ Salaries
In 2008, the Illinois Dept. of State Police paid 3,520 employees a total of $266,671,219 in wages, which is fourth highest among all departments. What is more interesting is that 730 employees made over $100,000, which is 20.7%…
