School Year Just Begun, Teachers Strike Looms in Chicago

[milwaukeelib33]

5. Illinois is facing some tough budgets

Large sums of money are sent to from the state level to the various school districts and those funds are being pinched as state finances struggle. That puts pressure on the local schools and cities to make up those funds, or cut, or a combination of the two.

What is needed is increased revenue. Demonizing the workers and forcing them to shoulder the burden, while seemingly the trendy thing to do these days(see WI, CA, CT), it isn't the fair thing to do.

Chicago already has pretty high taxes as it is and it might be too burdensome for the residents to have to pay more. Gov Quinn raised some taxes last year and should consider another round of increases. Another revenue source could be the corporations. Illinois, and in particular the Chicagoland area, are home to many, many corporate headquarters. See to it that they're paying their fair share.