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The Stunning Rise of the Democratic Socialists of America

Posted in 220, Barrington Area Library, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, DARCHED, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Fools and their money, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Immigration, League of Women Voters, News Media, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, School Districts, Taxes, The New Normal?, The New York Times, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Daily | The New York Times

This summer, the Democratic Socialists of America have mounted their biggest and most successful attempt yet to redefine the Democratic Party. They have defeated its candidates in primary after primary from coast to coast.

As its electoral success grows, the organization is confronting big, unresolved questions about what it stands for and what level of compromise is required to become a lasting political force.

Charles Homans, who talked to more than 30 D.S.A. candidates, organizers, members and volunteers across the countries, discusses the rise and limitations of the D.S.A.

Guest: Charles Homans writes about national politics for The New York Times and The Times Magazine.

The link to the podcast can be found here.

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Report: Illinois tops nation in debt ratio

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, IDOT, Illinois Tollway, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Springfield, The Center Square, Unions on August 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

According to a new report on financial red flags, Illinois has a higher debt ratio than any other state and Chicago is the most financially tenuous place in America.

Reason Foundation used audited financial reports from state governments and the nation’s 100 largest cities, counties and school districts to evaluate them in eight measures of financial health.

Reason Foundation Research Director Geoff Lawrence said Illinois is way upside down, with a debt ratio of 276%.

“It has way more debt than assets, $80 billion in total assets versus $220 billion in debt, so if you were to try to liquidate all of the state’s assets to pay off all its debts, it would be impossible,” Lawrence told The Center Square.

The report also flagged Illinois for liabilities per capita and unrestricted net position.

Lawrence said Chicago residents are facing heavy city and county debt on top of federal and state debt.

“In addition to what you owe to the federal government in terms of outstanding debt per citizen, you owe substantial amounts as well to every level of local government,” Lawrence said, adding that the city continues to dig the hole.

“They outspent revenues by about $580 million in the last year for which we have data,” Lawrence said.

Read on here.

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PUBLIC NOTICE: Election for Park District (Riding Club) Commissioner-Candidate Filing Information

Posted in Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Red, Clown Car, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, Countryside Elementary School, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lake, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Massbach Hounds, McHenry, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, Unions, Your Barrington Hills on August 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

PUBLIC NOTICE

Consolidated Election to be held April 6, 2027

To The Residents of The Barrington Hills Park District Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois

Elections will be held to fill the following office:  Park District Commissioner

Number of positions: Three (3)  

All positions are for a four-year term

The candidate services provided here will assist prospective candidates locate the information and forms required to run for office.

Information contained within this section is for informational purposes only. Candidates are advised to seek appropriate legal counsel for any campaign issues. 

Candidates must file their certificates of nomination with the Barrington Hills Park District designated representative.

Petition Circulation Period: August 25, 2026 – November 23, 2026. Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026

The filing of nomination petitions will be accepted at 361 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills IL 60010, in the Riding Center’s Meeting Room, November 16, 2026 through Monday November 23, 2026.  Office Hours will be posted here and on the online calendar.

Petitions may be filed in person by the candidate, a representative, or by mail to: Barrington Hills Park District, 364 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010. Nomination papers received in the mail before the first day of filing period will be returned to the sender as not filed.

Candidate’s Guide

Petition Documents:

Nonpartisan Petition Form (Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026)
Statement of Candidacy: Nonpartisan
Loyalty Oath (optional):
Statement of Economic Interests: Filed with the Cook County Clerk. See page 22 in the Candidate’s Guide regarding filing the receipt.
Fair Campaign Practices Act (voluntary): Filed with the State Board of Elections.,

Source

 

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Editorial: What do Democratic socialists want? We took a look at their platform.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on July 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Democratic candidates Juliana Stratton and Maria Peterson | Photo courtesy Maria Peterson’s Facebook page

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Who doesn’t love a good wish list? Come dream with us right here.

First step, we abolish capitalism. Without that most ultimate of evils? No more bills. No more debt. We’re all carefree now.

That’s the basic premise of the Democratic Socialists of America’s vision. If you haven’t looked at the platform lately, we offer you the following condensed version.

In addition to abolishing capitalism (step one), the DSA proposes eliminating the Senate and the Electoral College, subordinating the presidency and Supreme Court to Congress, and placing major industries under public ownership.

Housing, health care and energy all become public goods.

Oh, and we don’t need defense or public safety, so we can defund the Pentagon and get rid of prisons. The lamb will live among the wolves and will not be bitten.

While it’s tempting to dismiss all of the above as fringe politics, that might be a dangerously cavalier approach for sensible Democrats. The DSA’s influence has grown inside the Democratic Party, and both Chicago and New York, no small burgs, are governed by mayors who openly identify with the movement.

Editorial continues here.

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Illinois sales taxes near top in U.S.

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Unions on July 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Chicago will have one of the highest big-city rates in the country when the transit tax inches up Aug. 1.

By Adam Gorcyca | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois’ high sales taxes are about to get higher in the Chicago area.

Across Illinois, the combined state and average local sales tax is 8.98%, according to the Tax Foundation. That’s eighth-highest in the U.S. and highest in the Midwest.

The state did end its 1% grocery tax Jan. 1, though more than half the local governments in Illinois have one.

For over a decade Illinois has been one of the nation’s least competitive states in terms of sales tax. The last time Illinois placed outside the top 10 highest sales tax rates was 2013.

Of the states bordering Illinois, Missouri has the highest combined average rate, but it’s still over a half a percentage point lower than Illinois’.

Wisconsin in particular stands out in comparison with Illinois, with a combined average rate of 5.72%, and Kentucky is not far behind, at 6%.

Article continues here.

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IL can’t give cheaper college tuition to illegal immigrants, judge rules

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Immigration, Legal Newsline, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on July 26, 2026| 2 Comments »

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, flanked by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, left, and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, right | Office of the Governor

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal Newsline

EAST ST. LOUIS — Illinois can’t give illegal immigrants special in-state discounts on college tuition or special grants to attend the state’s public colleges and universities, a federal judge has ruled.

On July 24, U.S. District Judge David W. Dugan ruled Illinois Democratic lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution by enacting laws specifically designed to allow illegal immigrants to attend Illinois public colleges and universities at the same tuition rate normally reserved for U.S. citizens and legal non-citizens who live in Illinois.

In the ruling, Dugan said the Illinois laws, known as the RISE Act and the Illinois DREAM Act, illegally give illegal immigrants state educational benefits that are not also extended to U.S. citizens who live outside Illinois.

“Put simply, U.S. citizens or nationals must be treated no worse than illegal aliens,” Dugan wrote in the ruling.

Following the decision, Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, praised Dugan’s ruling.

“Illinois sought to incentivize illegal immigration on the taxpayer’s dime by treating illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states, in clear violation of federal law,” said Weinhoeft. “This ruling enforces the statute Congress wrote and stops the State from putting illegal aliens ahead of American citizens.”

The decision marks a big win for Trump administration in their legal campaign to strike down so-called “sanctuary” or “welcoming” laws and policies in Illinois and other states.

Article continues here.

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Sales tax hike to hit Cook, collar counties on Aug. 1

Posted in BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on July 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

Consumers in six Illinois counties will be soon be paying higher sales taxes.

Transit funding legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last December provided for the 0.25% increase to take effect on Aug. 1 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.

The tax hike is projected to generate $478 million a year as part of the $1.5 billion in annual transit funding provided in Senate Bill 2111.

State Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, said suburban taxpayers are bailing out the Chicago Transit Authority.

“We’re giving them a lifeline of money that we’re not getting anything in return for,” Reick said.

The Center Square asked Reick if higher taxes might drive people out of the area.

“Here in McHenry County, we’re obviously on the border with Wisconsin. I think people are going to make economic choices to drive up to Walworth, in my case, to buy gas and things like that,” Reick said.

SB 2111 also gave the Illinois Tollway Board the power to raise tolls.

Before the bill passed, state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said he appreciated the desire for a state-of-the-art mass transit system.

“I don’t know how, though, we justify spending more money than we need after $2 billion of tax increases in the last few years,” Ugaste said.

Report continues here.

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Falling birth rates could worsen Illinois’ declining public school enrollment


Posted in 220, 300, Cost of Living, Education, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Property Taxes, School Districts, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Illinois public schools are teaching fewer students compared to a decade ago, yet taxpayers continue funding a system built for more students.

By Rich Witzel | Illinois Policy Institute

Falling birth rates suggest that Illinois’ declining public school enrollment will continue, a reality that should inform decisions of education policymakers.

The National Center for Education Statistics projected in early 2024 that Illinois public school enrollment would fall to 1.8 million students by 2030, but the number had already dropped to almost that low for the 2024-25 school year, according to state data.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a major factor in the decline in, but enrollment had already been falling for years. Year-over-year enrollment in Illinois increased only two times over the past 15 school years.

This is not just an Illinois problem. Nationally, public schools are serving 1.2 million fewer students in 2022-23 than before the pandemic, and enrollment is projected to fall by another 2.4 million students by 2031.

A shrinking student population

Falling birth rates factor in. Illinois recorded just under 125,000 births in 2023, a 31% decline from 2007 and one of the steepest drops in the country.

Birth data previews of future enrollment trends. Less births today mean fewer elementary and high school students in the years ahead. The drop in births is occurring among outmigration and families choosing other education options, further contributing to the state’s enrollment decline.

Report continues here.

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Editorial: Our neighbors are rethinking income taxes. How about it, Illinois?

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Chicago Tribune, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fat Bastard, Girlie man, IDOT, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Tollway, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Transparency, Unions on July 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Lawmakers work in the Missouri House chamber on April 21, 2026, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri is asking voters whether to gradually eliminate its income tax and shift more toward taxing consumption. (David A. Lieb/AP)

Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin all are thinking creatively about taxes

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Illinoisans often assume high taxes are simply the unavoidable cost of living in the Land of Lincoln. But just across our borders, states are making some very different choices.

Missouri is asking voters whether to gradually eliminate its income tax and shift more toward taxing consumption. Indiana continues to emphasize fiscal restraint and has approved further tax reductions. Wisconsin used part of a multibillion-dollar surplus to enact income tax cuts and has continued debating additional relief. Iowa phased out its graduated individual income tax in favor of a flat rate of 3.8%.

Maybe you think Missouri is making a mistake or Iowa has gone too far. Maybe Wisconsin will reverse course. That’s not our point here. What stands out for us is that our Midwestern neighbors are at least practicing some creative taxation thinking.

Take what is going on in Missouri. On Aug. 4, voters get the chance to weigh in on whether Missouri should fundamentally rethink how it taxes its citizens; specifically whether the Show-Me State should gradually shift its tax burden away from income and toward consumption.

Ironically, Missouri currently has the very tax structure Illinois progressives have long sought: a graduated income tax. Even so, its top marginal income tax rate (4.7%) is lower than Illinois’ flat rate (4.95%).

Missouri’s average combined state and local sales tax rate also remains far below the rate in Illinois. Approval of the amendment could eventually narrow that gap, depending on how lawmakers implement the shift. Even then, Missouri would have a long way to go to match Chicago’s 10.25%.

Article continues here.

Related: “(Meanwhile) Income tax CUT on Missouri ballot; Illinois may see more outmigration”

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Editorial: Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicagoans want a ‘revolution.’ How about competence, Mr. Mayor? (OUCH!)

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, Cook, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb Bunny, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Overhead, Politics, Unions on July 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Mayor Brandon Johnson points to where he signed his name and wrote “The greatest frickin’ city in the world!” at a ceremonial beam-signing event at the construction site of the new Concourse D project at O’Hare International Airport on April 23, 2026. | Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

We met recently with Robert Isom, the chief executive officer of American Airlines Group. Isom was in Chicago to reinforce his airline’s newly expanded commitment to Chicago, as writ large by the coming return of his airline’s nonstop flight from Chicago’s O’Hare airport to Tokyo Narita, a vital dual-hub addition to our city’s international connectivity that had been gone for seven years.

Isom told us he had met with some of the city’s business and political leaders and had many productive conversations. When we asked him what his airline needed from Chicago, he answered, in essence, that it was crucial the city remain a major business center. There will be connecting passengers at either end of that Tokyo flight, of course, but connections can be made at several hubs, many of which have cheaper landing fees than Chicago. Isom was making the point that the route needed substantial hometown demand, too. And that was dependent on the health of business in Chicago.

An American Airlines jet taxis at O’Hare International Airport on April 23, 2026. | Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

That upbeat meeting was in our heads when we read this truly unfathomable statement by Mayor Brandon Johnson, from a recent press conference:

“The progressive movement is alive and well. We just have a few obstinate individuals that are more aligned with the interests of corporations that are ultimately stalling what could be a full-out revolution in this city, and the people of Chicago want it.”

We suspect we’re on the list of Johnson’s “few obstinate individuals,” along with assorted aldermen who do not enjoy mayoral favor, and we take pride in that. And, for the record, we agree with the mayor that the progressive movement is alive and well. Look no further than New York City to confirm that claim.

But Johnson didn’t stop there: He simply cannot stop trashing a business community that is trying like heck to promote growth and public safety even as City Hall insists on demonizing its honorable intentions.

Editorial continues here.

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