Patch on Politics

3 Things to Annoy You Right Before Christmas

The bad news: Job growth in Illinois is too slow, and prison inmates probably watch better TV than you. The good news: Your lawmaker is one of the highest paid in the nation.

Feeling all warm and full of good cheer? Bah! Here's a little something to satisfy the Scrooge in you before the spirit of Christmas takes hold. We Need More Jobs: At 8.7 percent, the Illinois unemployment rate is 1 percent above the national rate. And job creation is improving at a faster clip all around us, in Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa and Missouri, on average, according to Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner at the Illinois Policy Institute.  "The reality is Illinois’ poor policies aren't allowing the state to participate fully in the national recovery. If only Illinois’ unemployment rate were equal to the average of its neighbors, 100,000 more Illinoisans would be working. Yes, jobs are slowly returning to the state, but that’s …

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Dennis Robaugh

12:27 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013

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District 86 'Failing' in Terms of Transparency, Group Says

The Illinois Policy Institute released the latest edition of its "Local Transparency Project" this week, rating 22 DuPage County area government agencies.

District 86 was given a failing grade in the Illinois Policy Institute's latest round of transparency audits. The institute graded 22 DuPage County government agencies in its latest audit, the results of which were released this week, and 13 of those agencies "passed." Passing grades were given to agencies that scored 60 percent and higher on an evaluation that includes a range of criteria.  "In an effort to fight corruption and encourage public participation in government, the Illinois Policy Institute grades governments on how much public data is readily available on public websites," an Aug. 1 press release from the institute reads. "Dubbed 'The Local Transparency Project,' the grades are based on the availability to the public of vital…

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