posted by Collin Hitt

A money quote from a money post:

If the public isn’t allowed to know information as basic as how many students are enrolled in school, how public are those schools really?  The Arizona official acted as if they were his schools, not public schools because he could decide whether to share information based on whether it would be flattering to him or not.  Really, it should be none of his business why I want public information.  They’re my schools, too.

Nearly 55% of urban Indian children attend private schools/academies/learning centers/what-have-you. And this is despite the fact that the government puts roadblocks in the way so that private educational institutions will have a difficult time getting started and accredited.

While so-called development experts mention poor infrastructure as a negative, teachers in these schools actually teach unlike in government schools were 25 per cent never show up for work and another 25 per cent do not teach while in school.

Could it be that parents want their kids to actually learn in school?

Indeed, the near absence of teaching in government schools is what has brought about the surge in enrollment in private schools. Despite the many 'goodies' such as a free lunch, better classrooms and, most importantly, 'free' schooling enrollment continues to drop as parents move to private schools. Were that analogy to be applied in the corporate world -- a company that gives away its products for free and still loses market share -- it would make for an absurd proposition.

And we wonder why all these jobs are going over India-way...

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Posted by Matthew Gerken

Travis Akin, executive director of the Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch, has an alarming letter to the editor in today's Dekalb Daily Chronicle (http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2008/07/02/opinions/letters/letters01.txt).  According to the letter, Illinois has the 4th highest tort coasts in the nation, and another source ranks Illinois' litigation climate dead last.

What are the consequences?  Mr. Akin sums up the problem well:

Companies create jobs where the legal system is fair, so why would a company move to a state ranked dead last in the country for legal fairness?

Good question. The answer is they don't.

Posted by Kate Campaigne

John Kass wrote a touching memorial note about the late Assistant U.S. Atty. Mitchell Mars. Kass highlights the definition of true public service, and our need for it in Illinois, both from our elected officials and you, citizen. 

A message of accountability streams through Kass's piece, which is exactly what we at the Illinois Policy Institute are striving for through our transparency initiatives and the hard work of our Liberty Leaders.

Liberty Leaders, and citizens, take note. Accountability does not rest only on your elected officials. You have a role to play in this, too, and there are many ways you can take part. Contact us if you want to get involved.

True Public Service

posted by Catherine Rook

If you don’t think people are out to assault your freedoms check out Mary Schmich’s latest column in the Chicago Tribune.

Here’s her take on the article ranking Chicagoans dead last in terms of individual freedoms:

It whimpered about our police cameras, our tax on bottled water, our high cigarette and alcohol taxes, and, in the way of many a 10-year-old, seemed to equate the fact that we can't have whatever fun we want whenever we want it with an assault on our basic freedom. But where some people see paternalism, we weirdos believe that most of Chicago's rules help turn unruly city dwellers into civilized citizens. Big cities are like big families—put a lot of people into a small space and somebody has to be charged with the power to say "Stop it."

In fact, I wouldn't mind a few more restrictions on city life.

As the article continues, Mary goes on to list MORE bans she thinks the city should enact and enforce, including how many napkins you can take, when you can run air-conditioning, and "some words that should be banned because of overuse."

Yikes!

Posted by Kate Campaigne

How open is your school district? Check out the following article and see what the NewsTribune has to say in its analysis of 23 school districts in LaSalle County. I would like to give kudos to my old high school, Ottawa Township High School, which ranks highest in this report!

School districts in Illinois can do better, and doing better doesn't take much effort! School districts need to post their check register online and provide their community and taxpayers with a detailed, itemized account of how they're spending tax dollars. Posting board meeting minutes and a check register online does not take much time and requires no cost. Creating a PDF of this information and putting it on a website takes little effort, but it shows basic respect to the community and taxpayers. It can also help get the school district in better order; it too can benefit from posting.

I have talked to a few school districts in Illinois that already post, and all say posting has proven to be a positive step for all parties involved. Is your school district on this list? Do you want more transparency in your school district? Contact us if you do.

School boards behind closed doors

By Greg Blankenship

Mayor Daley Considering Changes to City's Gun Laws is the headline at City Room at Chicago Public Radio.

"DALEY: You have to delve into it.  You have to read it and then find out how you can adapt the changes that we’re looking at locally in regards to this issue, in regards to guns in America.  Local mayors have to deal with it, not the federal government."

posted by Catherine Rook

How free are you? If you live in Chicago, not very.

The Reason Foundation ranked the 35 most populated cities in the United States with regards to individual  freedom versus government paternalism:

The sad news, Chicagoans, is that your town came in dead last. And it wasn't even close.

Chicago reigns supreme when it comes to treating its citizens like children (Las Vegas topped our rankings as America's freest city). Chicagoans pay the second-highest cigarette tax in the country, and the sixth-highest tax on alcohol. Chicago has more traffic-light cameras than any city in America (despite studies questioning their effectiveness), restricts cell phone use while driving, and it's quickly moving toward a creepy public surveillance system similar to London's.

Chicago isn't alone, of course. Many of America's big cities are moving toward a suffocating sort of paternalism. Chicago's just the worst.

To find out more about how they compiled the rankings, read the Chicago Tribune article here.

PS- Happy sales tax increase everybody!

Posted by Kate Campaigne

If Cook County wants to push its residents, businesses and revenue out of town, it's doing a good job. Tomorrow, Cook County's sales tax will increase yet again. Cook County already has the highest sales tax in the nation, and it will make its unfortunate ranking even more concrete with the tax increase on Tuesday.

Tax increases, no accountability on behalf of your government, and wasteful programs and spending will continue unless you, citizen, step up. Want to make your government more transparent? Want to open the books and see where your tax dollars are going?

Take the following considerations in the article below seriously. What more will you bear? Want to know what you can do? Contact the Illinois Policy Institute. Illinois needs you.

Your Stroger-Daley Tax