Occupy Wall Street and Obama's Student Loan Initiative
The Obama administration’s new push to reduce student loan debt and simplify the process of taking it on and paying it off is… inevitably, impossibly complex. Here’s a start to understanding it.
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Death and Taxes: Why Illinois's Estate Tax Went into a Coma and How Much It Cost
One overlooked hole in the Illinois budget is the one-year disappearance of the estate tax, a complex mess years in the making that cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of a year.
Urban Partnership Bank Rises from ShoreBank's Ashes
As a new bank fills the void of the legendary Chicago community bank—a victim of the economic crisis—information and analysis emerges about why ShoreBank collapsed, and how close it was to being bailed out.
It's Hard Out There for the One Percent
The targets of Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Together lead difficult lives full of uncertainty, fear, and instability. (No, seriously, let me explain.) Further proof that the rich are like us, they just have more money.
Chicago Ideas Week Mayors Panel: Rahm Off His Game, Bloomberg Impressive, Reed One to Watch
After last night’s Mayoral Evening at the Oriental Theatre, part of the first-ever Chicago Ideas Week, I took an instant poll of those sitting near me, asking which of the three mayors in attendance—New York’s Michael Bloomberg, Atlanta’s Kasim Reed, and our own Rahm Emanuel—was most impressive. The folks around me confirmed my opinion: Rahm was…
The Civic Federation's Laurence Msall Discusses Illinois' Dire Finances, Reform
Interview conducted and condensed by Jeff Bailey I remember talking to you nearly a decade ago, and at the time, Illinois and its municipalities were dead last among the 50 states in funding public worker pension obligations. The hole was $50 billion. We’re still dead last, and the hole has grown to more than $100 … Read more
Annals of Chicago's Head Tax
Mayor Emanuel is stepping up his promise to cut the city’s “head tax,” a per-employee tax on medium and large businesses. It’s unpopular, but how’d we end up with it in the first place?
The Patent Holder Who Might Take Your WiFi Away (But Might Help Save the Patent System)
A Chicago based firm and its lawyer are suing hotels, department stores, and upscale chains like Caribou and Panera for patent infringement… because they use WiFi. It’s crazy, but so is patent law.
Foreclosures, Health Insurance, and Occupy Wall Street
From South Morgan St. to (Occupy) Wall Street: The meaning, or lack thereof, in We are the 99 Percent and the nationwide Occupy protests that hit LaSalle Street here in Chicago.
Chicago's Budget Crisis: At Least We're Not Alone
A new report from the National League of Cities, co-authored by a UIC prof, takes a look at what problems American cities are facing during the recession, and how they’re addressing them. The results will be familiar.