A Chicago Blog

I filed a FOIA request this morning for Arne Duncans credit card statement. I’ll keep you posted on how things turn out. If you’re interested, here’s the letter.

After news yesterday that government officials are abusing their credit cards, the New York Times is quick to show it really does care about taxpayers. They editorialize today:
A pending Senate proposal would mandate such obvious precautions as regular audits by each department’s inspectors general, second-party approval of credit purchases, the denial of cards to workers [...]

If this were an isolated occurrance I probably wouldn’t be concerned much about it. But the fact is, this is as close to the rule as it is the exception.
Illinois Issues reports:
A controversial plan to shut down part of the Stateville prison in Joliet became just a bit more contentious after a packed meeting at [...]

Leslie Carbone reports.

This morning I attended a press conference where the Illinois Policy Institute released the latest version of their Piglet Book. In the clip below, Chairman John Tillman runs through some highlights. My favorite is a study of Ukranian Easter Eggs. Nice!

Let’s see, get arrested on charges of racketeering because you took $150k from a booster for steering a talented player to the University of Alabama. Lose your teaching license. Get convicted and sentenced for time served. Do god knows what for a couple years. Get your teaching certification reinstated?
Yep, sounds like the American public education [...]

A little over a week ago I blogged about my attempt to gain access to Governor’s Office emails using a freedom of information act request. I didn’t expect this request to be greeted with a smile. Other bloggers around the country have made similar requests and been told it would cost anywhere from $1350 to [...]

Seriously, the guys over at AFP have put together a coalition letter supporting HB4765 which would create an “Accountability Portal” on web for Illinois state government. According to their press release the bill would require the posting of “comprehensive information about state spending, state employees and their pay rates, state contracts, state tax credits, and [...]

A fellow blogivist alerts us to a breaking development in Georgia. The State Senate has approved a tuition tax credit scholarship program (read the full bill). The bill now just needs to be signed by the Governor, Sonny Perdue. Perdue signed a special-needs voucher program last year, so there is every reason to expect he’ll [...]

The teachers unions will sue anything that moves. Last year, I remember being shocked that union-funded groups went after the Teach for America because the young men and women the program put into underprivileged classrooms were not properly “certified.” Now they are going after the biggest and best school choice program in the country.
Can America [...]