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Archive for the ‘Economy’ Category

Village Board of Trustees meet Tuesday

Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Board of Health, Building Department, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Data Center, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, Finance Committee, Folds of Honor, Fox River Valley Hunt, FRVPC, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lennie, Massbach Hounds, Minutes, One Barrington Hills, Organizations, Plan Commission, Plum Farm development, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Resident Spotlights, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Roads & Bridges Committee, The Land We Love Run, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Tree Preservation Ordinance, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on May 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting Tuesday evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • [Vote] Board of Health Appointment:
    Frank Konicek – Chairman, one-year term
  • [Vote] Riding Club Commission Appointments:
    Elaine Ramesh – Chairman & Member, each a one-year term
    Mary Beth Holsteen – Member, one-year term
    Susan Helenowski – Member, one-year term
    Vicki Kelly – Member, one-year term
  • [Vote] Plan Commission Appointments:
    Matthew Vondra – Chairman, one-year term & Member, 3-year term
    Christopher Geier – Member, three-year term
    Brent Burval – New Nominee* for Member, three-year term
  • [Vote] Zoning Board of Appeals Appointments:
    Gina Koertner – Member, five-year term
    John Gigerich – Member, five-year term
  • [Vote] Police Pension Board Trustees Appointments:
    Christopher Krzysko, Two-year term
    George Panos, Two-year term
  • Register Now: Land We Love Run 5K/10K Celebrating America250 on June 28, 2026

A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.

*No bio provided

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Lawsuit: D300 secretly gender transitioned student; Seeks to nix IL gender ‘guidance,’ too

Posted in 300, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Legal Newsline, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, Springfield, Unions on May 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Photo: Ezekiel See / Unsplash

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal Newsline

A mother from Chicago’s far northwest suburbs has lodged a lawsuit against her child’s public school district, accusing Community Unit School District 300 of allegedly attempting to secretly transition her child’s gender and of blocking the parent’s attempt to learn more about what was happening and be involved, even when the student struggled with suicidal thoughts and required hospitalization for mental health purposes.

However, the class action lawsuit also seeks to more broadly overturn policies at the district and potentially throughout Illinois, which the mother and her lawyer claim trample parents’ constitutional rights.

On May 10, attorney Ajay Gupta, of Naperville, filed suit in Chicago federal court against District 300.

Based in the village of Algonquin, District 300 ranks as the sixth largest public school district in Illinois, has a student population of more than 20,000 students from communities within a 118 square mile radius in Chicago’s northwest suburbs mostly in Kane County, near the McHenry County line.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a named plaintiff, identified in the complaint only as S.K. According to the complaint, she is the mother of a student at one of the district’s three high schools. District 300 high schools include Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville, Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin, and Hampshire High School in Hampshire.

The complaint does not identify which high school the student attended.

According to the complaint, staff at the student’s school allegedly began in 2022 using “alternate name and pronouns” for S.K.’s child, identified in the complaint only as T.K.

The complaint asserts the student at that time “experienced declining mental health and difficulty completing schoolwork.”

Report continues here.

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Convicted former Illinois Speaker gives Pritzker advice (from prison)

Posted in Economy, Education, Fat Bastard, Politics, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Rich Hein, Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file

Quick Hits | The Center Square

Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan – from federal prison over corruption charges – penned an op-ed this week calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to accept the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program.

The program, which Pritzker has been reluctant to opt the state into, would allow people to deduct up to $1,700 from their federal taxes if they donate to a qualifying K-12 scholarship granting program.

Republicans in Springfield also called on Pritzker to opt in this week.

Both Madigan and the Republicans argued the governor is putting politics over the needs of citizens.

Find more news here.

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Editorial: A cautionary tale from UK local elections as Brits move to the extremes

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Elections, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Politics on May 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

People walk past a polling station sign during the United Kingdom’s 2026 local elections in London on May 7, 2026. (Kin Cheung/AP)

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Britain held its local elections Thursday, and one headline was the ascendency of Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform party over the traditional Conservatives. But the day hardly brought succor for the Labour Party; the traditional party of the left lost ground in key constituencies to the Green Party, historically a marginal entity in the United Kingdom but now the party of choice among 18-to-24-year-old voters.

Even Labour’s first minister of Wales, Baroness Morgan of Ely, lost her seat.

Beleaguered British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, meanwhile, was just about hanging on. To many minds, he is a dead man walking, soon to be abandoned by his Labour Party.

What is the takeaway? The results certainly look dismal for moderates of any persuasion; the Reform and Green supporters hate each other with a passion. They’re also a vote of no confidence in the legacy parties.

And they’re further evidence of how Britain, not unlike the U.S., is now deeply divided between the affluent, educated urbanites who embrace progressive ideals and government spending — in Chicago we’d call them lakefront liberals — and the population living in rural areas and hollowed-out factory towns who feel abandoned by the elite establishment, many of whom abhor Britain’s porous borders and lament what they see as an immigration-driven collapse of both social services and a traditional British life.

Age came into play, too. Despite a popular leader in Kemi Badenoch, the traditional Conservative Party increasingly is seen as a gerontocracy appealing only to the aged. Labour has some of the same problems, having lost a hefty chunk of its traditional working-class supporters. All of the energy is at their flanks.

Editorial continues here.

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IRS: Illinois led nation in rate of income loss in 2023

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb and Dumber, Economy, FUBAR, Illinois Policy Institute, Mad Cows, New Normal?, Pension Funding, Politics, Taxes on April 23, 2026| 1 Comment »

By Bryce Hill | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois lost a larger share of income from outmigration than any other state in 2023, according to IRS data.

Federal tax returns show that Illinois lost a net of nearly 56,000 residents and more than $6 billion in income in 2023, the latest data available. When adjusting for total income per state, Illinois’ losses to net outmigration are the worst in the country — more than $11 for every $1,000 previously earned in the state.

While California ($13 billion) and New York ($10.6 billion) lost more income from outmigration, Illinois lost the largest share of a state total.

Meanwhile, South Carolina and Florida, two of the top three states adding the most total income from people moving in, also added the most as a share of their total income.

Part of why Illinois sees so much wealth flight is that high-income Illinoisans are leaving at twice the rate of other groups. People in all income brackets are moving out of the state, but those earning more than $200,000 a year have been leaving the fastest.

Article continues here.

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Barrington area Democrats condemn Chan Ding mailers

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Daily Herald, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb and Dumber, Dumb Bunny, Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, FUBAR, Goat Rodeo, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Topics Of Interest, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on February 28, 2026| 3 Comments »

Erin Chan Ding, left, and Maria Peterson are Democratic candidates for the Illinois House 52nd District seat in the 2026 primary election.

By Steve Zalusky  | Daily Herald

The Barrington Area Democratic Organization condemned attack mailers from Erin Chan Ding’s campaign for the Democratic nod in the Illinois House 52nd District primary.

The mailers altered opponent Maria Peterson’s image, placing her head on another person’s body. They also included the phrase, “When Maria Peterson runs, MAGA wins,” along with a list of her past election losses.

“These tactics do not reflect the values of our organization or the spirit of Democratic leadership in our community,” organization officials stated in a press release.

Chan Ding and Peterson are competing to challenge incumbent Republican Martin McLaughlin in the fall election. Peterson narrowly lost to McLaughlin by 47 votes in 2024 and lost by 385 votes to Republican Dan McConchie in 2022.

Peterson called the mailers “Chicago-style politics” that don’t “fit very well out here.”

Chan Ding countered, claiming Peterson distributed an attack ad first in January that “went after my character.” Chan Ding is a Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board member who was criticized by colleagues after an investigation determined she had violated district policies by using school resources, property and social media for prohibited political campaign activities.

Article continues here.

Related: “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “School district’s parking plan defies logic,” “Zoning change defies village policy,” “District 220 Public Hearing December 16th re: ‘proposal to sell bonds of the District in an amount not to exceed $5,400,000’,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “Erin Chan Ding: The violations just keep piling up…,” “Erin Chan Ding starring in another episode of, ‘Rules For Thee But NOT For Me…’,”  “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency,” “Ding Politicking on School District Property,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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NFL’s Chicago Bears May Bolt to Pro-Growth Indiana

Posted in Economy, Elections, Entertainment, Girlie man, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, The Washington Free Beacon, Topics Of Interest, Unions, Wall Street Journal on February 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

J.B. Pritzker (Scott Olson/Getty Images), Chicago Bears play the Carolina Panthers (via Wikimedia Commons)

By Ira Stoll | Washington Free Beacon

The latest business to pick up and leave the high-tax, high-regulation, high-crime nightmare of Illinois may be its iconic professional football franchise.

The governor of Indiana, Mike Braun, announced Thursday morning that a “framework” had been reached for a final deal that would move the Chicago Bears about 20 miles south from Soldier Field to Hammond, Ind.

“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears,” Braun said. “The State of Indiana moves at the speed of business, and we’ve demonstrated that through our quick coordination between state agencies, local government, and the legislature to set the stage for a huge win for all Hoosiers. We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers.”

A statement from the Bears said in part, “We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe.”

Braun, Huston, and Mishler are all Republicans. The governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, is a Democrat and aspiring 2028 presidential candidate, and Democrats also control both houses of the State Legislature in Springfield. The mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, is a tax-raising leftist who was elected in 2023 over the more moderate Paul Vallas.

So many businesses and people have left the Prairie State that the Illinois Policy Institute, a center-right research group, calls it the “Illinois Exodus.” “One of the major factors pushing businesses away from the state is Illinois’ unfriendly tax climate,” the institute said in a 2025 analysis. Companies that have moved headquarters out of the state in recent years include Citadel, which moved to the Free State of Florida along with its founder and CEO Ken Griffin; Boeing, which moved to Virginia; and Caterpillar, which moved to Texas. When Griffin left in 2022, he told the Wall Street Journal that crime in Chicago was part of the reason: “I’ve had multiple colleagues mugged at gunpoint. I’ve had a colleague stabbed on the way to work. Countless issues of burglary. I mean, that’s a really difficult backdrop with which to draw talent to your city from.”

Article continues here.

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Editorial: Support the shops that support Illinois

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Economy, OP/Ed, Topics Of Interest on November 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Katie Anderson-Tedder and her three children, Arthur Tedder, 5, Georgia Tedder, 7, and Grand Tedder, 3, leave Anderson’s Candy Shop in Barrington on Nov. 26, 2025. Anderson-Tedder is co-owner of the candy shop, which has been in her family for four generations. | Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Nestled in the back of a cottage in the hamlet of Richmond, Illinois, just minutes from the Wisconsin border, is a room dedicated solely to chocolate.

In this special place, on stone slabs, generations of skilled artisans hand-dip the good stuff, creating confections that rival the finest gourmet candies just about anywhere. Customers come back year after year not just for sweets, but for the feeling that some things still run on care and quality rather than volume.

Anderson’s Candy Shop has been around for more than 100 years. The business, first located on Armitage Avenue in Chicago, moved roughly 60 miles north to a popular tourist route on the way to Lake Geneva and other cheesehead holiday spots.

Katie Anderson-Tedder is the fourth generation to run the shop, which also has a smaller location in suburban Barrington. She juggles life with three kids alongside running the business and makes it look easy.

These days, it’s anything but simple.

Anderson told us this holiday season feels unusual. On the one hand, prices are high everywhere and consumers are feeling the pinch. Sure, folks are still shopping, but the average spend per customer is expected to drop 10% year over year this holiday season, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Holiday Retail Survey. Shoppers are seeking deals and discounts in the expectation that the economy is going to weaken, and even Black Friday and Cyber Monday spending is projected to decline after four years of growth, according to Deloitte.

Arthur Tedder, 5, hands a package to Xander Novak, left, as Tedder and his mom, Katie Anderson-Tedder, and his siblings arrive at the family’s candy shop, Anderson’s Candy Shop in Barrington on Nov. 26, 2025. Anderson-Tedder is co-owner of the candy shop, which has been in her family for four generations. | Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune

Yet while Anderson knows shoppers are being more frugal, she hopes there might be a silver lining for smaller shops.

Read more here.

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US Mint presses final pennies as production ends after more than 230 years

Posted in Economy, Topics Of Interest on November 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach holds one of the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. | AP Photo/Matt Slocum

By  MARYCLAIRE DALE | Associated Press

The U.S. ended production of the penny Wednesday, abandoning the 1-cent coins that were embedded in American culture for more than 230 years but became nearly worthless.

When it was introduced in 1793, a penny could buy a biscuit, a candle or a piece of candy. Now most of them are cast aside to sit in jars or junk drawers, and each one costs nearly 4 cents to make.

“God bless America, and we’re going to save the taxpayers $56 million,” Treasurer Brandon Beach said at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia before hitting a button to strike the final penny. The coins were then carefully placed on a tray for journalists to see. The last few pennies were to be auctioned off.

Billions of pennies are still in circulation and will remain legal tender, but new ones will no longer be made.

The last U.S. coin to be discontinued was the half-cent in 1857, Beach said.

More here.

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CUSD 220 proposing 7.32 percent tax levy increase

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Fools and their money, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Hearing, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, WTF on November 3, 2025| 4 Comments »

“I. A public hearing to approve a proposed property tax levy increase  for Barrington Community Unit School District Number 220, Lake, Cook, Kane, and McHenry Counties, Illinois, for 2025 will be held on December 2, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Barrington CUSD 220’s Administrative enter, 515 West Main Street, Barrington, Illinois 60010.

Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing and present testimony to the taxing district may contact Sarah Lager, Asst. Superintendent of Business Services/CSBO, 515 West Main Street, Barrington, IL 60010, (847) 381-6300.

II. The corporate and special purpose property taxes extended or abated for 2024 were $156,153,482.

The proposed corporate and special purpose property taxes to be levied for 2025 are $163,300,000.  This represents a 4.58 percent increase over the previous year.

III. The property taxes extended for debt service and public building commission leases for 2024 were $9,000,073.

The estimated property taxes to be levied for debt service and public building commission leases for 2025 are $13,948,798. This represents a 54.99 percent increase from the previous year.

IV. The total property taxes extended or abated for 2024 were $165,153,554. The estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2025 are $177,248,798. This represents a 7.32 percent increase over the previous year.”

Source

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