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Quick Hit
by Progress Illinois
3:04pm
Fri Sep 28, 2012

Op-Ed: AFSCME Responds To 'Quinn Spin'

The following was written by Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME Council 31, in response to the op-ed posted on Progress Illinois yesterday from Gov. Pat Quinn's office.

Sadly, there they go again. Governor Pat Quinn and his staff routinely twist reality, mislead the public and insult the men and women who do the real work of state government in their communities every day.

Endlessly repeating lies does not make them true. Yet the 1200 words of empty political talking points issued yesterday by a Quinn spokeswoman are riddled with repeated falsehoods and glaring omissions.

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Quick Hit
by Progress Illinois
9:17am
Thu Sep 27, 2012
2 comments

Op-Ed: Gov. Quinn's Office Sets The Record Straight On Policies, Relationship With Unions

The following op-ed is by Brooke Anderson, Press Secretary to Governor Pat Quinn.

Nobody is more committed to improving life for working families than Governor Quinn. Some of your readers will recall that back in 1993, Governor Quinn was among the few elected officials to stand with organized labor in opposing NAFTA. For three decades, he advocated for a humane minimum wage and workers’ rights. He has joined union brothers and sisters on more picket lines than any Illinois Governor in memory, dating back to his meeting César Chávez in the 1970s. Governor Quinn organized the Citizens Utility Board – along with groups like the Labor Coalition for Public Utilities – which has saved Illinois consumers $10 billion in utility rate reductions and refunds since 1985.

Since he became governor, jobs have been Governor Quinn’s number one priority. And his efforts have produced solid results for the working people of Illinois.

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PI Original
by Steven Ross Johnson
1:12pm
Tue Sep 18, 2012
1 comment

Lobbying For Wind Energy Tax Credit Intensifies As Expiration Nears

U.S. Congress

Supporters of wind energy are predicting that what happens in Congress over the next several days could be crucial to the fate of the industry, warning that more than 37,000 jobs could be in jeopardy if lawmakers fail to extend a vital tax credit for renewable power producers. Meanwhile, supporters and opponents of the tax credit are intensifying their calls for the credit's extension or demise. 

Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
4:36pm
Fri Aug 17, 2012

Illinois Corporations Skimp On Federal Taxes Despite Lavish CEO Pay

Libertyville-based Motorola Mobility paid no federal income taxes in 2011 even as company CEO Sanjay K. Jha received $47.2 million in annual executive compensation.

That is the finding of a report the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. released yesterday that looks at the 2011 tax returns of the 100 largest American corporations. The liberal-leaning think tank finds that at 26 of these firms CEOs  earned more in compensation than the company paid in federal corporate income taxes. In addition to Motorola Mobility, the list of these 26 companies includes three other Illinois firms: Abbott Laboratories, Boeing, and Motorola Solutions.

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PI Original
by Steven Ross Johnson
4:31pm
Thu Aug 9, 2012

Public Sector Job Losses Continue To Stymie Economic Recovery

Economy

As the effects of what has become known as the "Great Recession" continue to linger, state and local governments throughout the country have been forced to face the increasingly difficult task of providing an array of public services under ever-tightening budget constraints. Many of these cuts have led to the loss of government jobs. We take a look at how the loss of public jobs is continuing to affect the economic recovery.