Progress Illinois

Over a year ago, we wrote our first post
advocating in favor of federal assistance for state governments. The
reasons were simple enough: a slowing economy causes revenues to
decline and demand for services like Medicaid to rise; recessions
always hit states later ...

As the state's unemployment rate grows, so too do the food stamp rolls.
About 16.5 percent more households used the federally-funded program in
August than the same period in 2008, translating to aid for about
100,000 additional families. "It's a new record every month...

While widely lambasted
by stimulus opponents as useless "social spending," it's pretty clear
that boosting the length and size of unemployment benefits has had a
positive effect on those struggling to find work during this recession.
The Center on Budget and ...

Since the first stimulus dollars went out the door, we've been doing our best to track the impact of the federal funds on Illinois' economy. Schools have been spared massive cutbacks, unemployed workers have been thrown a lifeline, and increased food stamp allowances
have ...