Wirepoints

Wirepoints is a nonprofit organization that operates independently, providing unique insights and analysis on the economy and government of Illinois through original research and commentary.

Local

English

Non-profit, Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#593561

United States

#129855

News and Media

#4664

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

For decades, Mike Madigan and his fellow politicians made Illinois a worse place to live – Wirepoints on AM 560 Chicago’s Morning Answer | Wirepoints

4 days ago | wirepoints.org | John Klingner

June 3, 2025 June 3, 2025 Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Ted joined Dan and Amy to push back hard against the whitewashing of Madigan’s legacy. They discussed the state’s new 2026 budget and why it’s a bad deal for Illinoisans and talked about how disastrous it would be if Illinois-style governance was exported nationwide. Read more from Wirepoints: Illinois’ 2026 budget: the failure of good intentions Tax cuts, Gov. Pritzker? They’ve destroyed jobs and opportunity for black Chicagoans...
Illinois’ 2026 budget: the failure of good intentions – Wirepoints | Wirepoints

4 days ago | wirepoints.org | John Klingner

By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner“Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.” – Daniel WebsterAt some point, everyday Illinoisans will figure out that their government, in promising to do too much, is doing more harm than good. That their lawmakers, no matter how well-intentioned they say they are, are actually dragging Illinois down. That goes for Illinois’ seventh budget under Gov.
Chicago crime is down, but not down to where we need to be – Wirepoints on WLS’ Ramblin’ Ray Show | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | John Klingner

May 29, 2025 May 29, 2025 Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Ted joined the Ray Stevens Show to talk about the latest crime statistics for Chicago and explained that while the numbers look good, the Johnson administration doesn’t deserve to take the credit for a national trend. Read more from Wirepoints: What’s behind Chicago’s welcome, but belated, drop in crime About that drop in homicides. Chicago’s rate hasn’t declined like NYC and LA’s 2024 homicide rankings: Chicago, St. Louis lead nation...
Andy Shaw: Chicago taxpayers are footing the bill for legal patronage – Opinion – Crain’s* | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | Mark Glennon

May 28, 2025 Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email "I’m talking about the city’s chronic reliance on high-priced private law firms, instead of its large, well-funded legal department, to defend lawsuits against the Chicago Police Department — particularly civil rights cases involving misconduct, brutality, and wrongful convictions. We’re not talking about a few consultants here and there. It’s a legal gravy train that’s diverted over $250 million to outside attorneys in the last decade alone, with...
Illinois lawmakers want to kick taxpayers in the teeth with expensive pension sweetener bill – Wirepoints | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | John Klingner

By: Ted Dabrowski and John KlingnerMore pension sweeteners for government workers. Worth billions. That’s what some Illinois lawmakers want to squeeze into the state budget negotiations this week just as their session comes to an end. State Rep. Jay Hoffman has just amended a bill that would increase retirement benefits for tens of thousands of Tier 2 government employees – those hired after 2010. The costs, of course, will fall on taxpayers.
Why Cook County’s property tax ‘relief fund’ is a hoax – Wirepoints Quickpoint | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | Mark Glennon

Most people don’t know the difference between a million and a billion, and nobody exploits that ignorance more shamelessly than some of our politicians. It’s on full display with the Cook County’s $15 million “relief fund” for homeowner grants to counter oppressive property taxes. The trouble is, Cook County residential owners pay over $11 billion in property taxes every year. That means the fund provides relief for just one-one hundredth of one percent of residential taxes paid in the county.
$800,000 to build a single “affordable” house is not affordable – Wirepoints on AM 560 Chicago’s Morning Answer | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | John Klingner

May 27, 2025 May 27, 2025 Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Ted joined Dan and Amy to talk about the eye-popping cost of so-called “affordable housing” developments in Chicago, the welcome but belated decline in violent crime in the city, and more. Read more from Wirepoints: What’s behind Chicago’s welcome, but belated, drop in crime About that drop in homicides. Chicago’s rate hasn’t declined like NYC and LA’s 2024 homicide rankings: Chicago, St. Louis lead nation yet again Adults murdering...
Wall Street rating agency revises City Hall’s financial outlook to ‘negative’ – Chicago Sun-Times | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | Mark Glennon

May 27, 2025 Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email A Wall Street rating agency on Tuesday assigned an A- bond rating to Mayor Brandon Johnson’supcoming plan to borrow more than $600 million for infrastructure, housing and economic development, but revised the outlook to “negative,” signaling a future downgrade. Fitch said the negative outlook is “driven by a lack of substantial progress procuring permanent, high-impact solutions” to a structural budget gap of $1.12 billion — 20% of the corporate...
Chicago home prices are still rising — and faster than almost anywhere else – Crain’s* | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | Mark Glennon

May 27, 2025 Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Chicago tripling the nation's home price growth is the main takeaway from Crain's monthly dip into the real estate data. Chicago's strong housing market when others are weakening is the other side of the coin from the 2010s, when local home prices here grew at about half the speed of the nation's. Read the Article SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER Home Page Signup First Last Check all you would like to receive: FOLLOW US Wirepoints...
What’s behind Chicago’s welcome, but belated, drop in crime – Wirepoints | Wirepoints

1 week ago | wirepoints.org | John Klingner

By: Ted Dabrowski and John KlingnerMayor Brandon Johnson is celebrating a drop in crime in Chicago. Murders are down 22% in 2025 over the same period last year, and so is overall violent crime. The drop can’t be ignored. But can Johnson credibly make the claim that his “investments” in people is the reason why? Success, as usual, has many parents, but proving causation is a different matter.