Center for Tax and Budget Accountability News

Promoting fair, efficient and progressive tax, spending and economic policies.
November 16, 2011
In This Issue
Congressional Budget Office Report
Graduate Research Interns
The 50%

Feature
 

Cook County Proposed Fee Hike

 

ABC 7 news reporter Sarah Schulte interviewed Ralph Martire  regarding Cook County Finance Committee proposed increases in taxes and fees on such things as cigarettes and alcohol.  Watch as Ralph (at 2:06 minutes) points out why fees aren't a sustainable revenue growth stream.
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Woods Check 2011
Woods Fund of Chicago Support

 
CTBA Founder Todd Dietterle accepted a check for general operating support from Woods Fund of Chicago Grants and Operations Manager Deborah Clark. Such support is critical to CTBA's success in making a constructive difference in IL state fiscal policy. 
Congressional Budget Office Report
 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released "Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007," in October that found that, between 1979 and 2007, income grew by:

  • 275 percent for the top 1 percent of households,
  • 65 percent for the next 19 percent,
  • Just under 40 percent for the next 60 percent, and
  • 18 percent for the bottom 20 percent.
 Source: B.Landy, The Century Foundation
 
Source: B.Landy, The Century Foundation 
Research Interns Make A Difference 
(L-R) Kaslow, Lifshitz, Coussens

 

CTBA offers research interns an opportunity to be involved in meaningful research. Pictured here with CTBA Director of Education and General Policy Yerik Kaslow is  Zach Lipschutz, graduate student in the Economics Department of Roosevelt University, and Stephen Coussens, graduate student at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy.  

 

Zach and Stephen both provided invaluable assistance to CTBA; Zach with wage sharing and state bank proposals and Stephen with collecting and analyzing data used in CTBA's forthcoming "Citizens' Guide to the Illinois Budget and Tax System," among other projects. 

 

"Both Lipschutz and Coussens are very capable researchers," said Yerik Kaslow, CTBA's Director of Education Policy Analysis. Kaslow added, "Their work and assistance allowed CTBA staff to complete multiple projects. Our organization is lucky to be able to attract such talented and hardworking graduate students. Our past interns have gone on to take jobs at the Federal Reserve, the Education Development Center in Boston, and E+Co international clean energy investing. Both Lipschutz and Coussens have a bright future ahead of them in any area of economics and public policy they choose."  
Why Does 50% Own Just 1%

 

CFW Pres. K. Sujata

In the October issue of the Chicago Foundation for Women's newsletter, President K. Sujata focused attention on gender inequality in economic development. Referring to a World Bank report that women "make up half the population and 40 percent of the world's workforce but hold just one percent of the world's wealth," Sujata reminds readers that, "Armed with facts, you can ensure your community prioritizes women's and girls' needs now and in the future." Read her article here
 

A Chicago Foundation for Women grant supported CTBA's report on "Gender Equity in Human Services."  

CTBA

because policy can't

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The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability is a bi-partisan 501(c)(3) research and advocacy think tank that promotes fair, efficient and progressive tax, spending and economic policies.

 

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