Special Project: Rescuing Illinois
The Better Government Association’s Rescuing Illinois Project is an ongoing series of in-depth reports about improving and reforming state government.
The project will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the inner workings of state government to identify irregularities and efficiency problems and to propose responsible solutions and reforms.
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FEBRUARY 2, 2012: A series of investigations shining a light on the state's school systems.
Ill-Gotten Gains? At CPS,
Unused Sick Days Pay Off
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NOVEMBER 8, 2011: A series of investigations exploring taxpayer-supported and government-sanctioned boards and commissions.
Illinois Human Rights Commission: Top Pay, Benefits for Part-Timers
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NOVEMBER 7, 2011: Spawned during the late 1800s, township governments in suburban Cook County continue to operate at the taxpayers’ expense despite growing evidence that many have outlived their basic usefulness.
OVERVIEW: Time Warp: A Government Built for the 19th Century
CASH CUSHION: Money In The Bank: Piling Up A Mountain Of (Taxpayer) Moola
COSTLY ROADS: Dead End: Paying A Big Tab For A Few Highway Miles
UNNECESSARY JOBS: Redundant Services & People, Tens of Millions in Salaries
REFORMS: Top Illinois Lawmakers Step Up Streamlining Bid
DEFENDING TURF: Hyper-Local: Government Best When Close To The People
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SEPTEMBER 7, 2011: In Part Two, we continue our investigative series into the public pensions crisis by looking at the community colleges system.
CHAPTER 1: Tough Lesson Plan: Paying Big for Community College Retirees
CHAPTER 2: Without Reform, Community College Pensions Can’t Make the Grade
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JUNE 18, 2011: This seven-month investigation with the Center on Wrongful Convictions tracked exonerations in Illinois from 1989 through 2010 to determine the financial and human costs, and proposes several reforms.
OVERVIEW: A Tale of Lives Lost, Tax Dollars Wasted and Justice Denied
HUMAN COSTS: A Devastating Toll: Lost Freedom, Family and Friends
FINANCIAL COSTS: Illinois Taxpayers Forced to Pick Up Big "Injustice Tab"
REFORMS: Reform Blueprint: Changing Law Enforcement's Culture, Tactics
DATA + RESOURCES: BGA/CWC Investigation: Numbers and Sources Behind the Stories
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APRIL 28, 2011: Part One of this series explores how Illinois taxpayers are on the hook to pay millions of dollars in guaranteed pension benefits to former statewide office holders.
CHAPTER 1: Our State Pols' Platinum Pensions
CHAPTER 2: Want Reform? Get Ready to Rumble
CHAPTER 3: Explainer: What is GARS?
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