From the Illinois Policy Institute…
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has seen a “strong desire and need for real transformation in the County.” A good place to start this much-needed transformation process would be at the county’s Adult Probation Department, which receives more than $43 million per year to keep the public safe by monitoring dangerous criminals sentenced to probation rather than prison.
Preckwinkle will soon discover these taxpayer dollars are being poorly spent and the department is not keeping people safe–a key tenant of Preckwinkle’s “Compact for Change.”
My latest special report reveals how the Cook County Adult Probation Department, according to its own chief probation officer, “dropped the ball,” by allowing a convicted sexual predator to go unmonitored, which resulted in his arrest for molesting a 13-year-old girl. The special report also documents how a lack of leadership, transparency, and accountability have crippled the department, while senior staff worked off-duty jobs, including providing a personal security detail for Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.
Lee Williams
Investigative Reporter
Illinois Policy Institute
A Message from Congressman Roskam
Though he was scheduled as the speaker for our holiday party on Wednesday, Congressman Roskam had to stay in Washington due to prolonged negotiations on extending the Bush tax cuts. He recorded this video to show to our guests at the event.
Fact Finder: Do Higher Taxes Chase Away People, Wealth, and Jobs?
Yes. They do.
Another Reason Why We’re Losing Jobs
Our state’s workers’ compensation laws are some of the most expensive in the nation. In a time when several states are having great results with reforms, Illinois is stuck, yet again, in a “business as usual” mentality. But Kate Piercy has ideas on effective reforms that will lead to job creation, which she delivered before a special committee last week.
The Debate Next Week
Registration is closed for the Chicago Mayoral debate focusing on education…but there will be a live webcast of the event. Check back on December 15 at 7 p.m.
The Grade Is in
After the first major snowfall of the season, the Illinois Policy Institute’s Snow Watch team has a grade for the city’s performance: B-. Not bad, but plenty of room to improve. To see what we based our decision on, check out the pictures on our blog.