Government Budgets

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Illinois House Reduces Revenue Estimate for FY2012

  The Illinois House of Representatives took a significant step in its annual budget negotiations this week when legislators unanimously passed a resolution limiting General Funds spending to $33.2 billion. The cap on spending is…

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Cook County Needs to Continue Modernization Process

The Cook County Board recently passed the County’s FY2011 budget. The budget included…

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Time to Make Some Enemies

In this article about the budget-balancing challenges facing City of Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel, the Civic Federation says the next Mayor must make the City's finances his top priority.

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Emanuel Victory Marks New Era in Chicago Politics

This article discusses the fiscal challenges facing Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel. It cites a report by the…

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Borrowing can't stanch unpaid bills

This editorial about the State of Illinois' plan to borrow to pay down its past-due bills cites the Civic Federation, which says the plan is financially reckless.

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State Completes Pension Bonds Sale

For the second year in a row, the State of Illinois raised funds in the municipal bond market to make its annual pension contributions. On February 23, 2011, the State finalized the sale of $3.7 billion worth of Pension Obligation Bonds (…

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Cook County Board Approves FY2011 Budget

On Saturday February 26th, the Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the FY2011 Annual Appropriations Ordinance. In the…

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Cook County Board votes to roll back sales-tax increase by 2013

This article discusses the Cook County Board of Commissioners vote to rollback the remaining portion of the 2008 penny sales tax increase by 2013. The Civic Federation says that the tax increase was established without a solid plan for how…

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Rahm Emanuel will Bürgermeister von Chicago warden

In this segment on Swiss Public Radio (in German) about Rahm Emanuel’s mayoral campaign, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall talks about the financial challenges the next mayor of Chicago must face.

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Afternoon Mayoral Election Roundup

This article discusses the City of Chicago mayoral election. It mentions that the Civic Federation’s “Financial…