New study of Illinois Finances

State of Illinois Enacted FY2010 Budget:
A Review of the Operating and Capital Budgets Enacted for
the Current Fiscal Year
January 22, 2010

The Civic Federation
would like to express its gratitude
to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,
whose generous grant to fund
the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability at the Civic Federation
made the research and writing of this report possible.

Click on the following to read this 33 page study of Illinois finances:  http://civicfed.org/sites/default/files/FY2010%20State%20of%20Illinois%20Enacted%20Budget.pdf

DeKalb County homeless count conducted Thursday

Law enforcement and social service agencies throughout DeKalb County came together Thursday to get an idea of how many area residents are homeless.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development mandates that a point-in-time count of the homeless be done every two years for agencies to be eligible for federal funding for programs that address homelessness.

Click on the following for more details:  DeKalb County homeless count conducted Thursday | Daily Chronicle

Pantries struggle as donations slow in the new year

Boone County Food Pantry has been beset by the harsh reality of a new year. Monetary donations are down 80 percent. On the horizon is more demand for food, clothing and household goods as unemployment benefits run out in a region hit hard by joblessness. 162 new people came through the pantry’s doors in December when, overall, more than 1,700 received food that is distributed each Tuesday of the month. And the demand is continuing to show an increase so far in January.

Boone County has about 51,182 residents with 6,051 of them living in poverty.

pantry is located on Fifth Avenue, one block south of Route 173, in Capron….Food is distributed 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays. Qualified families are allowed to come once a month and leave with three boxes of food. Each must sign in and provide proof that he or she continues to live in Boone County.

No one has to show proof of income. But the penalties for taking food without being qualified are severe: a fine of up to $25,000 and/or five years in prison.

Click on the following for more details:  The Belvidere Daily Republican. - Pantries struggle as donations slow in the new year

Kane County Judge candidate admits license suspension

In the 1991 case, Morelli represented a drug dealer and the man's ex-wife and had a then-undisclosed sexual relationship with the woman, the complaint stated.

In an interview, Morelli admitted to the accusations involving the public defender but said, "I still don't think I had a conflict of interest" in the other matter.

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | Judge candidate admits license suspension

Oregon vote could impact Illinois tax wars, guv election

The Oregon measure — taxes will go up 2% for individuals earning more than $125,000 a year or couples above $250,000 — bears a distinct similarity to a proposal here by Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Dan Hynes.

,Mr. Hynes wants to implement a graduated income tax, one that he says would raise billions of dollars a year solely by zapping the top 3% of the population: households with annual incomes of $200K on up.
The measure needs to be approved by a 60% vote of the General Assembly and then in a statewide referendum.

 Should Mr. Hynes win the Democratic primary next Tuesday, expect to hear a lot, lot, lot more about Oregon and why Illinois ought to follow suit.

Click on the following for the rest of the story: Oregon vote could impact Illinois tax wars, guv election | Greg Hinz | Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago jobless rate climbs to 10.6%

metropolitan Chicago edged higher in December to 10.6%, remaining close to a 26-year high.

local rate peaked at 11.3% in June 2009, the highest jobless rate since July 1983

Rockford continues to have the highest jobless rate among Illinois metro areas, at 16%. Kankakee-Bradley followed with a 14.3%.

Click on the following for more details:  Chicago jobless rate climbs to 10.6% | Crain's Chicago Business

Illinois Loses Track of Hundreds of Sex Offenders

 

700 sex offenders in the city of Chicago aren't compliant with laws requiring them to register with the state. And officials don't know the whereabouts of more than 200 of those offenders.

Click on the following for more details:  City Room™ - Metro - Illinois Loses Track of Hundreds of Sex Offenders