Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn wants lawmakers to financially rescue Illinois child care providers, one week after 40,000 state-subsidized providers were told the state ran out of money to pay them for the rest of the fiscal year. At stake is whether 85,000 low-income parents who work or attend school can continue to access child-care.
Latino leaders Wednesday lamented their community’s economic struggles and lack of a voice in national politics, while expressing hope they could make a difference in this year’s election.
“We have to educate folks on how you do politics,” said Jesse Rios, the executive director of the Chicago Metro Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, adding that more Latino residents must “knock on the door of their Congressman; knock on the door of their Senator.” Read more »
Progressive economists slammed President Barack Obama and Gov. Pat
Quinn today for not doing enough about a prolonged recession and
unemployment crisis. Also, Quinn came under attack for not doing enough
to increase the state tax base before issuing landmark proposed cuts to Medicaid and public employee pensions.
“It’s
kind of hard for a voter to know what the difference is between a
Democratic and Republican plan for lowering employment,” contended Josh
Bivens, acting director of research and policy at the Washington, D.C.
Economic Policy Institute. Read more »
U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told a group of Chicago business leaders today that Obama administration policies prevented a recession and laid the foundation for economic growth.
The Illinois jobless rate fell from 9.4 percent to 9.1 percent in February, marking the sixth straight month that the state's unemployment rate has declined.
Reflecting on U.S. politics, the sharp-witted entertainer Milton Berle is reported to have declared: "You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think."
This week we have a classic example of that observation. A few days after the U.S. Congress approves scaling back federal spending to reach a controversial accord on the debt ceiling, a Bank of America/Merrill Lynch (BOA/ML) analysis, yes, one of the banks that helped create this economic mess in the first place, issued a new report out to shareholders warning that another recession may be fast approaching since Congress adjourned without addressing an unemployment benefit extension for the long-term unemployed.
Economists say the Great Recession officially ended in 2009, and with each passing month, politicians tout the economic progress made throughout the country. But the recovery is still a long way off for many and a new study shows that states with large minority populations are disproportionately struggling to dig themselves out of the economic disaster. The Center for Social Inclusion's report
(PDF) looks at housing, jobs, health, and socio-fiscal factors to
create the Recession Impact Index, which breaks down the effect the
recession has had on individual states.
Latino leaders Wednesday lamented their community’s economic struggles and lack of a voice in national politics, while expressing hope they could make a difference in this year’s election.
Progressive economists slammed President Barack Obama and Gov. Pat
Quinn today for not doing enough about a prolonged recession and
unemployment crisis. Also, Quinn came under attack for not doing enough
to increase the state tax base before issuing landmark proposed 
Reflecting on U.S. politics, the sharp-witted entertainer Milton Berle is reported to have declared: "You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think."
Economists say the Great Recession 