Sunshine Commission Passes House
Good news from Springfield yesterday: The House passed legislation to create the Illinois Sunshine Commission (HB4836), which would create a commission “to conduct a thorough review of the relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness of each “State executive branch program.”
Rep. …
Government Salaries vs. Private Sector Salaries
USA Today highlights yet another good reason for government spending transparency:
Average federal salaries exceed average private-sector pay in 83% of comparable occupations.
Citizens want transparent government for many reasons, and being able to easily review government salaries – at …
Alderman Wants More Transparency in Quincy
The Quincy Herald Whig reports Alderman Paul Havermale, R-3, has initiated talks about bringing more transparency to city government in Quincy, “asking city officials to consider some steps to increase “transparency” in city government.”
Havermale remarked, “With as …
Cook County Checks Online
After passing a transparency resolution about a year ago, Cook County has posted its check registry online and appears to be embracing spending transparency policy, describing their move as an “Open County Initiative,” which is “part of Cook …
New Piglet Book Exposes IL State Spending
Batman, car racing, and giant tubs for bass fishing…see what we found in our 2010 Piglet Book, detailing some of the wasteful spending going on in Illinois.
Highlights include:
- $6,500 for a tub of live bass. The state paid
…
Gov. Quinn’s Budget Transparency?
Ryan Keith from the GateHouse News Service reports “Gov. Pat Quinn wants more time to give his budget address — and promises to give a public glimpse of the state’s budget situation before that.”
Although state law requires Quinn to …
Chicago Board of Education Credit Cards Canceled
Thousands of dollars in artwork, limos, expensive meals and liquor charges by employees of the Chicago Board of Education, such as former presidents Michael Scott and Rufus Williams, along with their staff, have come under scrutiny, the Chicago Sun-Times…
What?! An Early TIF Retirement?!
Elk Grove Village–a Chicago suburb–recently retired its TIF district because, as village Mayor Craig Johnson said, the TIF’s purpose had been accomplished.
The Daily Herald reports Elk Grove will rebate $300,000 yearly in excess revenue from the TIF to area …
Wonder how they’re paid in the AG’s office?
Liberty Leader David Jenkins issued FOIA requests and compiled a database of salaries of employees in the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
From Jenkins’s press release:
In an effort to provide transparency and accountability to Illinois state government, a Cicero resident
…
School Districts: Transparency Required.
The public may start seeing more transparency from school districts soon, according to the Sun-Times.
One new piece of legislation (SB2270), introduced by Senators Dan Cronin, Kirk W. Dillard, Chris Lauzen and John J. Millner…
