Unions vs. Taxpayers – Part 2 of 2

Also from the New York Times: Faced with growing budget deficits and restive taxpayers, elected officials from Maine to Alabama, Ohio to Arizona, are pushing new legislation to limit the power of labor unions, particularly those representing government workers, in...

Unions vs. Taxpayers – Part 1 of 2

From the NYT a few days ago: Across the nation, a rising irritation with public employee unions is palpable, as a wounded economy has blown gaping holes in state, city and town budgets, and revealed that some public pension funds dangle perilously close to bankruptcy....

Illinois’ $13 Billion Deficit Took Years to Produce

The legislative session that began today as the House convened will take aim at a budget deficit of at least $13 billion, including a backlog of more than $6 billion in unpaid bills and almost $4 billion in missed payments to underfunded state pensions. The fiscal...

Abu Dhabi Shares Profits From Parking Meters

In fact, a Chicago News Cooperative investigation has found that investment arms of the oil-rich Abu Dhabi government hold more than a 25 percent stake in the company that privatized the city’s 36,000 parking meters. German financial company Allianz also has a large...

Parking Meter Rates Going Up

The rates will soon go up for people parking in the city.  Electric pay boxes will begin charging $5 an hour in the downtown area, up from $4.25.And it will cost $3 an hour to park on streets outside the downtown area.  The rate increase will go into effect Jan. 1. ...