In an editorial about Governor Quinn’s proposed cuts to the Illinois budget, the Chicago Tribune strongly commended the Civic Federation’s analysis of the state’s FY2010 budget, saying it has “produced solid recommendations for saving billions of dollars in state spending.”
The Civic Federation's Institute for Illinois' Fiscal Sustainability wrote this issue brief about the Illinois Medicaid Program. The report provides an overview of Medicaid in Illinois and highlights areas where the program's cost efficiency might be improved. The report recommends that the General Assembly form a joint legislative and gubernatorial commission to launch a review of the future financing of the Illinois Medicaid program, especially with regard to the expiration of federal…
This report analyzes the public funding for 12 major cultural institutions in Cook County that receive property tax-based funding from the Chicago Park District or the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. It makes recommendations for alternative funding sources that could stabilize the public funding for these and other institutions.
The Civic Federation's Institute for Illinois' Fiscal Sustainability produced this analysis of the proposed FY2010 Illinois operating and capital budgets. The Civic Federation does not support the proposed operating budget because it raises taxes without fixing the state's structural deficit. If significant pension and employee healthcare reforms are implemented, the Federation could support a smaller income tax increase targeted at reducing the state's existing obligations in the areas of…
Urges General Assembly to Reject Proposed Illinois Budget CHICAGO (May 11, 2009)—The Civic Federation rejects Governor Pat Quinn’s proposed $52.9 billion FY2010 operating budget because it raises taxes without fixing the state’s core problems. The Federation’s new Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability released today a 90-page analysis of the budget, offering alternative proposals that would more effectively stabilize the state’s finances while making the full certified pension…
This report provides a trend analysis of indicators that measure the financial health and performance of ten major local government pension funds from 1998 to 2007, the most recent year for which audited data are available. It finds that unfunded liabilities for the ten funds climbed even during years of good investment returns, increasing from $4.8 to $17.1 billion in ten years, and makes numerous recommendations on legislative actions that should be taken to slow the downward spiral of…
The Civic Federation's Institute for Illinois' Fiscal Sustainability produced this guide for addressing the state's FY2010 budget. The roadmap provides an in-depth outline of best practices for a budget that would confront the state's growing fiscal crisis, including the areas of state spending, revenue, pensions, employee and retiree health insurance, Medicaid, capital, and asset sales.
Best Practices and Principles for Difficult Economic Times CHICAGO – The Civic Federation’s new research institute, the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability, delivered to Governor Quinn and every member of the General Assembly today a detailed roadmap for addressing the state’s FY2010 Illinois budget. The first-of-its- kind in Illinois report provides an in-depth outline of best practices for a budget that would confront the state’s growing fiscal crisis. With a looming budget deficit…
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2009 include public pension reform, the dissolving of the Illinois International Port District, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, requiring all counties to hold budget hearings, requiring large counties to produce timely annual audits, enacting tax increment financing reporting reform, requiring school financial management accountability reforms, and authorizing state and local government entities to…
The Civic Federation urges Cook County Commissioners to reject the proposed $2.9 billion FY2009 County operating budget, which is based on $364.0 million in ill-considered borrowing for operational expenses.
