Illinois Policy Institute Compass Fall 2008

8/7/2019 Illinois Policy Institute Compass Fall 2008

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COMPASSLeading the way or liberty in Illinois.

Flip thisstate!A Liberty Agenda or Illinois

ALSO INSIDE:The Surprising Truth AboutSchool Choice

Regulation Run Amok

Illinois Political Forecast

Liberty Leaders In Action

Fall 2008

the illinois policy institute


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table o contents3 Flip this State!

4 Let the Sunshine In

6 School Choice Luncheon

7 Policy Update8 Illinois Perspective: Keeping Us Sa e...From Ugly Wallpaper

10 Liberty Leader Pro le: Gus Makris

11 Political Radar: To Con-Con or NotTo Con-Con

12 Transparency Update & Institute inthe News

Welcome to the Compass, theIllinois Policy Institute’s newquarterly newsletter.

While much o the world is convinced that printed material ispassé, well…we’re not quite sold. In many ways, the printed word is as important as ever, particularly when paired with themultiple new communications tools we have at our ngertips.Each medium, in its own way, adds up to a complete package thatcan deliver an important message: the value and power o theprinciples o liberty and how these principles can be put into law.

In a nutshell, that’s what we’re all about at the Illinois Policy Institute. Yes, we are a “think tank.” But as you may havegathered by now, we also ocus on political results. Tat doesn’tmean we “do politics”—gosh, that would be against the law andIRS regulations. But nothing prevents us rom providing a solid,appropriate public policy direction to our riends active in politics.Hence, our title: Compass. In all o our work, we hope to pointthe way toward the principles o liberty or those who in uence ormake political decisions here in Illinois.

Frankly, there is a vacuum in our state. Not enough people

and organizations point toward liberty in their public policy discussions. oo many point toward more government and everexpanding bureaucracies. Tis is ironic, given that most o ourcurrent challenges stem rom incorrect, ine ective or incompetentgovernment action.

We aim to provide a consistent, interesting, and persuasive roadmap that leads toward liberty—and, ultimately, a better Illinois

or all citizens. At the Illinois Policy Institute, our ocus is totrans orm the principles o liberty into marketable public policiesthat become law.

Te Compass is one o many tools we are developing to advancethis goal. We will be working to improve it, issue by issue, tomake it a more e ective tool or you and or those makingpolitical decisions. Please eel ree to let me know your thoughtson this or any uture issue. Your important eedback helps usmake sure we, too, are pointing in the right direction in serving you and the liberty movement in Illinois.

Best wishes,

John illmanCEOIllinois Policy Institute

From the CEO

about usThe Illinois Policy Institute is a nonpartisanresearch and education organizationdedicated to making our state a beacono liberty and prosperity or all citizens.As a leading voice or economic libertyand government accountability, we engagepolicy makers, opinion leaders, and citizenson the state and local level by promoting

ree market principles and liberty-basedpublic policy initiatives or a better Illinois.

190 S. LaSalle St., Suite 2130, Chicago, IL 60603718 S. Seventh St., Suite 102, Spring eld, IL 62703

www.illinoispolicyinstitute.org



ILLINOIS: FALLING BEHINDIllinois may not be aring as well as youthink. When compared with the other50 states, Illinois ranks:

48th in economic per ormance 42nd in economic outlook 47th in employment growth3rd highest in outward migration

Highest in sales tax burden4th highest in gas tax burden7th highest in median property taxes

COMPASS 3

The Illinois Policy Institute presents anagenda to make our state a better placeto live and work or all citizens.

Illinois is competing with 49 other states–as well as with the rest o the world– or entrepreneurs, investors,businesses and workers. It is losing this competitionbadly, and the impact can be elt by all Illinoisresidents.

Study a ter study, including the recent “Rich States,Poor States” by the American Legislative ExchangeCouncil, documents that Illinois has quietly enteredthe beginning stages o a downward economic spiral. Tese serious economic warning signs echo theearly economic doldrums o our neighboring state,Michigan, and are rooted in state policies that are all

too o ten geared against businessesand amilies.

Tat’s the bad news. Te good newsis that the Illinois Policy Institute,together with our partners acrossthe state, is working or better publicpolicy or a better Illinois. And by “working,” we don’t just mean thinkingand writing. Our goal is to promoteliberty-based public policy so that itcan become law in the state o Illinois.

Tis all, we’ve unveiled ourLiberty Agenda or Illinois, a set o innovative, non-partisan policies

that will kickstart the process o making Illinois abetter place or businesses, amilies, and citizens romall walks o li e. Tese arepractical, achievable strategies–and we believe that they’re also winning strategies. o check out the ull Liberty Agenda, visit our website at www.illinoispolicyinstitute.org.

Over the next year, we’ll be

developing and promotingmore o these policies. Stay tuned or more updates onour emerging Liberty Agenda. ogether, we can work

or a better, more prosperous Illinois.

Flip this State!ront o the book

What does a LIBERTY AGENDA look like?

A few sample policies from our “Liberty Agenda for Illinois:”

• Eliminate the Illinois cap on charter schools;

• Expand the state’s educational tax credit;

• Open the Illinois insurance market to all fty states;

• Increase government transparency...

...and more! See page 7 or more details, or visit our website todownload the ull Liberty Agenda policy brie .

Want the insidescoop? Sign up orour e-letter today!Log on towww.illinoispolicyinstitute.org.



Let the sunshine inpolicy in action

Illinois Policy Institute Liberty Leaders pave the way or transparency–and more!– in Illinois.

Adam Andrzejewski, the Founder and Executive Director o For Te Good O Illinois, has worked with the Illinois Policy Institute as a Liberty Leader. Adam co- ounded American Marketing & Publishing with his brother and recently le t the company to ocus on public policy.

oday, Adam promotes transparency throughout the state, particularly in local school districts—and he also sponsors acollege scholarship in his hometown o Herscher, IL. ogether,we’ve had great success and thank him or his stellar efortsand dedication to serving Illinois. Adam sat down withour Director o ransparency Policy, Kate Campaigne, or adiscussion about his work.

Campaigne: Could you tell us a little bit about growing up in Herscher, Illinois?

Andrzejewski: Te welcome sign to Herscher reads“Te nest small town living in America.” People believeit and they live it. Herscher is in Kankakee County,surrounded by arm elds or 13 miles in every direction,and, to this day, doesn’t have a stoplight. I was the oldesto seven children, so it was a busy household. I went to work as soon as I could–mowing grass, detasseling corn,

and running a paper route. One o my earliest memoriesis accompanying my mother on a visit to the localbanker. She wanted to devise a plan to send her children

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to college. I remember sitting across rom that banker who told my mother, “Janet, your children will nevergo to college because you will not have the money.” Well, her seven children have eleven college degrees,my brother graduated rom Harvard Law School, andeventually, my brother and I started a company–Amer-ican Marketing & Publishing–which employs over 200people.

Campaigne: What was one o your rst experiencespromoting liberty and/or transparency? What drove you to act?

Andrzejewski: While I ran my company, I kept my head down and wanted to be le t alone. A ter my brother bought out my share, however, I started toexplore the unction and results o our state. What I

ound was disheartening: Illinois is underper orming on

almost all o the challenges we ace.

I elt I had an obligation to let Illinois citizens know what I had ound. Last all, I made a commercial o the “Inconvenient Illinois Facts” and ran it on Fox,CNN, MSNBC and the Discovery Channel. Tat is when I met John illman, CEO o the Illinois Policy Institute. We are both committed to an exceptionalIllinois.

Campaigne: Why do you think citizen action at the

local level is important? I someone wants to getinvolved, what do you suggest they do rst?

Andrzejewski: TroughoutAmerican history, a ew committed citizens havealways been the catalysts orchange. I suggest adoptingthe philosophy o “NotOn My Watch!” and doingsomething now, starting where you are. One way to get started is to joinour e ort to make schooldistricts more transparent to

taxpayers. Ask your local school district to become openand transparent by posting its check register online. Te proposal is costless, takes less than ten minutes todo, and allows us to see how our tax dollars are beingspent. Online transparency shows simple respect tothe taxpayer. ForTeGoodO Illinois.org and the IllinoisPolicy Institute provide a simple road map to do this.

Campaigne: What are your thoughts abouttransparency in government?

Andrzejewski: ransparency returns the power o

COMPASS 5

Adam, whois part o theInstitute’sLiberty Leadersprogram, hashelped to make$367 million o

taxpayer moneytransparent.

government review back to the people. With greatertransparency, bad ofcials will start to sel -censure,knowing that all their activities go online. Meanwhile,good people will not cave into temptations.

I titled my transparency e ort the “Open Book Revolution,” and it must be built person by person,

rom community to community. I have ocused onschool districts as the government unit that will be mostresponsive to transparency–and momentum to changeIllinois is building within our education establishment.

Campaigne: What successes have you had with the“Open Book Revolution?”

Andrzejewski: Our rst set o transparency victoriesoccurred in rapid succession. In a signi cant victory

or DuPage County taxpayers, the College o DuPage,

the Midwest’s largest single campus community college with a budget o $238 million, passed the “OpenBook est.” Working with rustee David Carlin, thecollege posted itscheck registry within12 hours o boardapproval. Over thenext 2 weeks, theElmhurst schooldistrict posted, andmy home district o

Herscher voted ortransparency as well. We’ve had many other districtscommit, so watch or requent announcements.ForTeGoodO Illinois.org, home o the Illinois SchoolDistrict Honor Roll, showcases those transparentdistricts. Already, we have highlighted twelve schooldistricts representing more than $1 billion in educationspending on our Honor Roll.

Campaigne: What have you enjoyed about working with the Illinois Policy Institute as a Liberty Leader?

Andrzejewski: Te Illinois Policy Institute not only possesses the raw brainpower, but also the will toachieve tangible results. I have always believed actionsspeak louder than words, so our relationship has been very strong. From history, my avorite sculpture is Te Tinker by Rodin. Te man is deep in thought, butcertainly a muscled man o action. In my opinion,leadership is best executed by a well thought-throughstrategy, ollowed by action, and hence orth results. Tepeople at Illinois Policy Institute are not only very smart, but also have that critical action orientation.

Since I have my own 501(c)4 organization,ForTeGoodO Illinois.org, the relationship I enjoy with Illinois Policy Institute has been one o maximized

Continued on back cover



Institute EventsIllinois Liberty ForumOn August 16th, the Institute hosted our inauguralLiberty Forum, a small, in-depth con erence thatgathered candidates, legislators and local leadersdedicated to pursuing ree market policy solutionsin Illinois. Attendees discussed how to bettermarket liberty-based public policy in our state.

Cooking Up Liberty With Charlie TrotterOn July 31st, the Institute hosted star che —andgreat supporter o the cause o liberty —CharlieTrotter or a cocktail reception. Che Trotterspoke about how his values have infuenced hissuccess, as well as how greater liberty results ingreater things or all people.

6 COMPASS

On June 11th, the Illinois Policy Institute held its rstluncheon dedicated to school choice, which gathereda sell-out crowd o over 72 attendees to discuss bettereducational options or the children o Illinois.

Te discussion, cosponsored with the Cato Institute,opened with Collin Hitt, the Illinois Policy Institute’seducation specialist, who put his point simply: “Schoolchoice saves money.” His presentation demonstrated why, showing how $4,000 education tax credits (which would allow amilies to send their children to theschools o their choice) could actually save the state o Illinois up to $3.48 billion over ten years.

Andrew Coulson, who heads Cato’s Center orEducational Freedom, provided similar ndings,

highlighting hisstudy o privatetax credits witha particularemphasis oninternationalresults—and witha help ul closing

statement. “Tisis not just aboutsaving money,” Coulson pointed out. “It’s about savinglives.” For the thousands o Illinois children stuck insub-par schools, this couldn’t be stated enough.

Institute CEO John illman moderated the discussion,and a lively Q & A session ollowed the panel, withgreat questions and insights rom the audience, which included legislators, academics, policy analysts,educational specialists, and school choice supporters.

Te event ended with a challenge: We have thenumbers…but how can we better tell the story o theimportance o school choice?Send your ideas toin [email protected].

School choice luncheonmovers and shakers

“It’s Not Just About Saving Money… It’s About Saving Lives.”

Michael Tams speaks with Institute CEO John Tillman



INSTITUTE IN FOCUS:

SCHOOL CHOICEThis year, the Institute has ocusedextensively on school choice, covering avariety o policies—including educationtax credits (raising the Illinois tax creditto $4000, our education specialist Collin

Hitt argues, would actually save the statebillions o dollars) and charter schools(including our e orts to li t Illinois’sarbitrary cap on the number o charters,which was endorsed and eatured in theAugust 22 Chicago Tribune).

Next up: the release o several educationalprimers on the impact o privatization onpublic schools, together with an emerging

media series on the impact o charterschools on Illinois amilies. Stay tuned!

COMPASS 7

policy update

Announcing the Liberty Agenda

In August, the Illinois state GOP released an“Agenda or Action,” prescribing policiesincluding a government “jobs” program (via a$25 billion construction bill), more education

spending (above the current record levels),mandatory Internet monitoring o social

networking sites, and more proposals thatcan only be described as “Liberal Lite.” Our

response? The Liberty Agenda or Illinois .The Liberty Agenda o ers context on our state’s

economic decline, provides an overarchingtheme o making Illinois a better place or

business, amilies, and all citizens, and then laysout proposals that, i put into law, would place

Illinois among the most economically competitivestates —instead o our current ranking, which is

in the bottom ten.Health Care: Mandate Mania

How to solve the problem o healthcare “ ree riders,” who cost the systemmillions? One popular solution involvesrequiring businesses and individuals to o erand have health insurance. Un ortunately,as is usually the case with governmentsolutions, this could bring about severalunintended consequences. Rather thanaiming or universal health care coverage,Institute president Greg Blankenshipargues, lawmakers should enact ree marketre orms—including allowing Illinoisansto purchase insurance rom other states,allowing no- rills catastrophic healthinsurance, and treating employers andemployees equally within the ederal taxcode—that will make health care betterand more a ordable or all.

Why Cap and Trade Won’t Workin Illinois

In light o the Governor’s Illinois Climate ChangeAdvisory Group, which has advocated a cap

and trade policy in Illinois, the Institute releasedan updated study on the pros and cons o this

controversial policy. The bottom line: capand trade regimes are o ten case studies in

good intentions gone awry. In the attempt tocreate incentives to reduce emissions e ciently,

problems occur with implementation costs,regulatory capture, energy generation, price

fuctuations and a gap in technology.



License to kill...businesses? Illinois’sstate regulations or pro essionalslike barbers and interior designerssquelch opportunities on many levels.

Te last time you got a haircut or did someredecorating, did you check to make sure yourbarber or interior designer was properly licensedby the State o Illinois?

No? I not, how do you know it was sa e to seethem?

Never ear. Our state’s political class is dedicatedto keeping us sa e rom the dangers o roguebarbers or interior designers—all to the tuneo around $112 million a year. Te IllinoisDepartment o Financial and Pro essionalRegulation (IDFPR), which is projected toemploy 800 sta members in 2009, exists “toprotect consumers o nancial and pro essionalservices by ensuring the integrity and standardso regulated industries and pro essionals.” oday,around 219 di erent pro essions are regulatedand nearly 1,000,000 individuals and rms arelicensed in Illinois.

Certainly, some pro essions need licensing—wedon’t want just anyone per orming surgery or

designing bridges.Less clear,however, is theneed or licensingo barbers,manicurists,cosmetologists,interior designers,

landscapearchitects, shorthand reporters, home inspectors,

geologists, and auctioneers.

State regulation laws nearly all begin with lo ty language regarding protecting the “public health,

Keeping Us Sa e…

From Ugly WallpaperBy Paul S. Detlefs

illinois perspective

sa ety, and wel are.” I don’t know about you,but I’m not living in ear o a renegade interiordesigner who recommends the wrong color

or my bathroom or a landscape architect whoselects the wrong plantings or my garden. Inprior times, barbers used to per orm surgery,bloodletting and extract teeth. Tey haven’t done

most o these things since the 18th century.But they have been regulated by Illinois since1917.

“Rent-Seeking” and Economic Teory I not to protect the public, why do theseregulations exist? Over 35 years ago, GeorgeStigler, a Nobel-winning University o Chicagoeconomist, explained why. Interest groups o tenband together, lobbying the government toshape laws and

regulations thatbene t them—aprocess alsoknown as “rentseeking.” Teseregulationscreate barriers toentry, allowing thesegroups to charge rates above those that wouldcome with ree competition.

Consumers and potential competition, ultimately,pay the price—but they also have little incentiveto ght these regulations, since the cost o

ghting them ar exceeds the bene t or any individual.

Stigler’s theory, also known as “regulatory capture,” is easy to see in practice in Illinois.Pro essions routinely lobby or practice legislation(what one is allowed to do), titling legislation(what one is allowed to call him/hersel ), andother barriers to entry. Legislators, meanwhile,typically go along with the “status quo” or earo political reprisal. Illinois’s Regulatory SunsetAct, which allows pro essional regulation only

Continued on next page

8 COMPASS

Barbers must have certifcation...

...and so must landscapers



to protect the public rom “signi cant anddiscernable harm or damage,” sets dates or the“sunset” o pro essional regulation, but these datesare routinely extended. Regulation o a pro essionlike interior design—whose regulation wasrecently extended to 2012—is rarely ended, giventhat the “boards” which advise on regulation aremade up almost exclusively o licensed memberso the pro ession.

Many o these regulations all especially hardon the poor and disadvantaged, who o ten lack the resources to meet the set standards. TeInstitute or Justice (www.ij.org), a non-pro tpublic interest legal organization, has success ully litigated cases to strike down regulation o activities in other states including A rican hair

braiding (requiring a cosmetology license) and thesale o caskets (could only be sold by a licenseduneral home). Here in Illinois, however, many

restrictive regulations still stand.

Alternatives and Solutions With budget de cits and enormous un undedliabilities, certainly Illinois has more importantissues to deal with. Te private sector has solvedthese problems be ore, and it is especially easy todo so in the Internet Age. Te Better Business

Bureau logs complaints and posts them to their website, and other websites (www.angieslist.com) sharecustomers’ personalexperiences.In addition, allstates, includingIllinois, routinely use industry associationexaminations aspart o the

certi cation process, rather than developingtheir own exams. Why would Illinois’s “seal o approval” or a landscape architect be any more valuable than that o the American Society o Landscape Architects, ounded in 1899?

Continued in right column

An Action Planor Illinois

Illinois legislators and regulators need to takereal action to reduce unnecessary pro essionalregulation, which ends up hurting consumers,potential business owners, and, most o all,the poor and disadvantaged. Here are somepotential steps they could take:

• Use the Regulatory Sunset Act that is alreadyon the books

• Require hard, objective evidence of “signi cantand discernable harm or damage” to the public

to justi y regulation

• Eliminate the practice of routinely extendingsunset dates

• Perform a comprehensive review of existingpro essional regulation, using a “base closurecommission” approach to shield legislators romlobbying by individual pro essions

• Critically examine the need for any new titling,practice or other licensure laws

• Eliminate all titling legislation and replace itwith industry association certi cation

• Transform the state website’s license anddisciplinary lookup eatures into links to thesame unctions provided by industry associations

• Reform the state’s professional boards tobetter balance the public interest with thepro ession’s interests (more public involvement)

• Develop training, regulations or legislationoutlining inappropriate topics o discussion bythe pro essional boards (a “no lobbying” rule)

• Survey the public to understand where theysee the need or pro essional regulation.

COMPASS 9

Interior designers must be licensed to decorate private homes

Paul Detle s, an IPI Liberty Leader, has lived in Glenview, Illinois or over 25 years, and has been

a consultant and advisor to small businesses in Illinois or over 30 years. He has an undergraduate degree in economics rom DePauw University and an MBA rom the University o Chicago.



By Richard Lorenc

Liberty Leader Gus Makris o Chicago isn’t new tothe ideas o liberty and limited government. In act, asa newly-minted lawyer specializing in tax law, Makrisis keenly aware o the issues that impact prosperity and

reedom.

However, he only recently ound a way to translate hisprinciples into action. “I was o the sort who was happy to sit at home and read a book,” says Makris. “Butthere’s no substitute to making something happen.”

Searching or a way to get involved,Makris e-mailed the author o an articleon RealClearPolitics.com and asked orsome advice. Te response pointed him inthe direction o the Illinois Policy Instituteand its CEO, John illman. “I shot Johnan e-mail and we met,” says Makris. “Wetalked about how it would be help ul toknow the margins o victory or legislativecandidates, and I took it upon mysel todo the research and it get it back to theInstitute.”

wo weeks and twenty hours o work later, Makrisreturned a series o data- lled spreadsheets to theInstitute, giving a boost to the pool o knowledgebeing used to plan a liberty-based public policy agenda

or Illinois. He also earned a spot in the Institute’snew Liberty Leaders program, a project designed toassemble a team o liberty-minded volunteers who arecommitted to holding politicians accountable around

the state.

With no experience in politics or political research,Makris gave up a small amount o time to contribute agreat deal o value.

Gus Makrisliberty leader profle

“When buildinga political

movement,it’s easiest to

convince peoplethat your position

is one that theyalready agree

with.”

Like the other orty-seven Liberty Leaders recruitedsince May, Makris has varied political interests. Amonghis top interests is school choice. “We would have neveraccepted the setup o the government school system oranything else,” says Makris. “Imagine being told whereto shop or groceries, or instance. We like to have thechoice o where and what to buy.”

Makris believes that moving education re orm orwardis simply a matter o good communication. “Whenbuilding a political movement, it’s easiest to convincepeople that your position is one that they already agree

with,” he says.

So, with Liberty Leaders popping upstatewide and citizens craving changeo politics as usual, where does Makrissee Illinois in 20 years? “I can’t really say whether Illinois will be any better or worse than it is now,” he says. “But it’s theuncertainty that motivates me to try tomake it the reest, most prosperous place itcan be.”

When asked what advice he would give to others whoseek to become Liberty Leaders in their areas, Makrissays he has a new appreciation or the classic Nikeslogan: “Just do it.”

The Illinois Policy Institute is developing a team o Liberty Leaders to work or accountable governmentin Illinois. From issues ranging rom budgeting totransparency to education re orm, Liberty Leadersare organizing around the issues that are important tothem…and they are making an impact! Help us makeIllinois a better place by becoming a LibertyLeader. To learn more, contact Richard Lorencat [email protected].



be in a oul mood come this November–a oul moodthat may make a con-con a pretty exciting event.

Right-leaning proponents o the Illinois constitutionalconvention are promoting the re orms that could come with the convention, including recalling ofce holders,

term limits, more open elections, and binding re erenda.Meanwhile, those who might nd themselves on the wrong side o these populist re orms–business groups,party regulars, and many elected ofcials–are lining upto oppose the convention.

GOP party regulars, meanwhile, eel that a con-con,given the weak position o the GOP, would be adisaster or the party. With Democrats dominating thestate and enjoying bothperks o patronage andgreater undraising, they could, in this view, literally rewrite the Constitution.

On the other hand, party cleavages are not theonly division in the state.Many Democrats romrural communities aremuch more culturally andeconomically conservativethan their brethren in

Cook County. One gunactivist commented tome that because there are more districts in downstatethan in Chicago, he walks into the convention with 60 votes on his side. Te gun issue is ar more likely tocorrelate with issues important to the center-right ontaxes, social issues and populist re orms such as bindingre erenda–and, in turn, these issues are less likely tocorrelate to issues important to the establishment o Chicago.

Tat suggests the con-con won’t be politicalArmageddon or the center-right–and that thedivisions between Chicagoland and the rest o Illinoishave the potential to be more salient than merely party identi cation.

Are anger and regional divisions enough to makeme con dent that a constitutional convention won’tend with Illinois adopting a version o the Cubanconstitution? I don’t know. But remembering thatIllinois politics is more than just elephants versusdonkeys should be an important consideration in

determining our vote. I, or one, have become lesspessimistic a ter considering this particular variable.

“ o con-con or not to con-con?” We’ll nd out soonenough.

COMPASS 11

t h e p o l i t i c a l

RADAR

To Con-Con…or Not toCon-Con?By Greg Blankenship, President

With apologies to the Bard o Avon, “ o con-con…ornot to con-con?” does seem to be the question this year.

Tis all, Illinois voters will be asked i they believethat the state should convene a constitutionalconvention–also known as a “con-con”–to revisit the1970 Constitution, a document that ushered in the atincome tax, the notion o paying our pensions rst, andsupermajorities or overtime legislative sessions.

Te 1970 Constitution also requires that Illinois votersgo to the polls every 20 years and vote up or down onanother constitutional convention. Te last one, in1988, was de eated by 1.8 million votes.

At the time, the economy was humming along, thegovernor was both competent and popular, the Cold War had just been won, and the country as a whole voted or a symbolic 3rd term or President RonaldReagan by choosing his Vice President, George H.W.Bush.

oday is a much di erent matter.

Illinoisans neither like the governor nor the legislature. Te governor himsel may be a hair’s breadth away

rom impeachment ollowing the conviction o chie undraiser and kitchen cabinet member ony Rezko.

And the economy is struggling, acing the twinheadwinds o spiking energy costs and a housing/creditcrunch.

One indicator that voters are mad as heck and

aren’t going to take it anymore is that both majorparty candidates are marketing themselves as agents o change. McCain is the “outsider” in GOP circles, andIllinois Sen. Barack Obama trumpets his “change wecan believe in.” Tey both know that voters will likely

Illinoisans

neither like thegovernor nor thelegislature. The

governor himsel may be a hair’s

breath away romimpeachment

ollowing theconviction o Tony Rezko.



Transparency Victories Across IllinoisWho’s posting nancial in ormation online or communities,taxpayers, local businesses, and the general public?

School Districts Now Posting a Check RegisterBourbonnais Elementary School D53: $17 millionCollege o DuPage: $238 millionElmhurst School District 205: $109 millionCUSD 300, Carpentersville: $185 millionHarlem Unit District 122: $73 millionHuntley Consolidated School District 158: $72 millionOak Park and River Forest High School D200: $70 millionOak Park Elementary School District 97, Budget: $63 million

and more!

Transparent Library District: Urbana Free LibraryTransparent Park District: Wheaton Park DistrictTransparent Local Government: Village o Gol

Legislative UpdateAlong with Americans or Prosperity’s Illinois Chapter, theInstitute has been working with legislators on the IllinoisAccountability Portal (HB 4765). The bill would require thestate to post all expenditures online in an easily searchable

database. All expenditures would have a detailed accounto the payment’s purpose and who authorized the payment.We’d like to thank our riends at AFP or their hard work andleadership on this issue.

To make your government transparent, contactRichard Lorenc: richard@illinoispolicyinstitute org

Institute In The NewsThe Institute has been making headlines across the state.Here are some o our more recent highlights. For more, visitour website at www.illinoispolicyinstitute.org.

On August 22nd, the Chicago Tribune eatured the Institute’swork on charter schools, and also endorsed our policy approachin an editorial. Collin Hitt, the Institute’s education policy director,pointed out the strengths o charters, explaining how theseinnovative schools expand opportunities or all Chicago students.To give Chicago kids the opportunities they deserve, Hitt argued,the state should li t its current cap on charters.

John Tillman, the Institute’s CEO, made the rounds on Chicago’stop radio stations over the summer, appearing on WLS-AM’s top-rated Don Wade & Roma and Jerry Agar shows. John wasalso eatured in Crain’s Chicago Business regarding suggestedre orms to the failing Chicago Transit Authority.

Greg Blankenship, the Institute’s President, was eatured in the Wall Street Journal with a letter to the editor on energy policy.

Kate Campaigne, our director o transparency policy, contributedop-eds to the State Journal-Register , the Ottawa Times , andthe Champaign News-Gazette . Kate was also pro led or here orts or greater transparency in the Ottawa Times .

Continued rom page 5

synergy. Many o our strengths are complimentary andmy e orts are stronger and sharper because o our afliation.

Campaigne: You’re a proud ather. What do you hopeto see change in Illinois so your children have a better

uture?

Andrzejewski: As I am being interviewed, my wi eand I are within a couple hours o delivering our thirdgirl. Tese moments change your li e orever, every time. I can tell you nothing rankles me more thangovernment waste, raud, corruption, and abuse. Weare in dire need o elected ofcials that serve in the truespirit o public service–to serve the people.

Campaigne: What would you say to citizens who want better government in Illinois?

Andrzejewski: Let’s do something about it! Gettinginvolved now, we can do something truly signi cant andin uence the course o our state.

Campaigne: Tanks, Adam, and thank you or your hard work promoting liberty in Illinois. I have very much enjoyed working with you, and look orwardto continuing our eforts in bringing transparency toIllinois!

190 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 2130Chicago, IL 60603

Documents

Illinois Policy Institute Compass Fall 2008