Illinois' recently passed fiscal year 2019 budget was touted by Gov. Bruce Rauner as a "great team effort, a great bipartisan effort," but Ammie Kessem, who is running for state representative in the 19th House District, believes taxpayers are getting the short end of the stick with the $38.5 billion spending plan.

Illinois' fiscal situation is out of control and the state has increased taxes drastically over the past few years, but some politicians are saying enough is enough, including U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, who is seeking re-election.

With Illinois state government increasing taxes and placing more restrictions on local businesses, small businesses often suffer from increased government regulations, according to the candidate for House District 19.

The state of Illinois has been short on money in the past few years, and recently, a Chicago-based think tank suggested that taxing retirement income could bring the state an extra $2.7 billion in revenue if taxed at the same 4.95 percent rate that wage income is taxed.

Self-care and self-love will give you the energy you need to give everyone around you the best version of yourself.

Chicago Police Officer Dean Angelo Sr. discussed the rise in violent crime with Chicago City Wire and why there are as many murders in the city now as there were in some cities in the 1990s when drug wars were taking place.

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Among the hotly debated issues in the past few years is the question of whether to relax laws on the use of marijuana, which has led to states such as California legalizing the recreational use of marijuana recently. The related topic of hemp has been debated as well, as this plant, though related to marijuana, is being considered for uses that are entirely different.

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Ammie Kessem says Chicago Ward 45 Alderman John Arena can't stand being out of the spotlight, even if it means pushing away some little girls to grab the attention.

Professor Jason Hill uses his words to fight his battles, so when he read the words of another black American denigrating the United States, he knew he had to take a stand.

Cook County's recently imposed tax on sugary beverages has so many holes it that the county might never clean up the whole mess it's making, Nathaniel Hamilton of Project Six told the Chicago City Wire.

Chris Cleveland says that for all the talk of the revolutionary new school funding formula, there's still the fact that Illinois is relying on its same old way of doing things: raising taxes.

The recently passed school funding legislation has given Chicago another shovel to dig itself deeper into debt, the founder of the financial news website WirePoints contends.

A property tax incentive to help growth in Belmon Cragin was recently proposed to the city council by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.