January 21, 2011

Stronger state stability - while maintaining economic competitiveness

Illinois’ balanced approach to tackling its fiscal problems is good for businesses, who want a stable atmosphere in which to settle and work.  In fact, national experts on fiscal matters counter assertions that the state’s recent tax increase will prompt many businesses to leave.  They maintain state tax rates are not the key drivers behind businesses’ location decisions.  This is especially true in Illinois, where our top personal income tax rate will remain lower than almost all of our neighbors’.   

Health care reform: good for people, deficit reduction

Rolling-back federal health care reforms not only would leave millions of Americans without adequate services and insurance options, it would explode the national deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office.  As some federal lawmakers have called for repeal of last year’s Affordable Care Act, the nonpartisan CBO recently warned such a move would add $230 billion to the deficit over the next decade. Policymakers should maintain – rather than erode – these critical investments in the well-being of individual families and our entire nation

Nobel economist: Invest in young children

Efforts to boost economic recovery and reduce deficits would benefit greatly from further investments in a particular, natural resource: the development of young children.  So believes James Heckman, a Nobel Laureate in Economics who spoke last month at a Chicago event hosted by the McCormick Foundation, Irving Harris Foundation and J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation. “To foster the skills of American children, we must help troubled American families,” said Heckman – work that hinges upon strong supports for young children’s learning, physical health and social-emotional development, he added.

Your favorite charity can benefit from the Wrigley Start Early Run!

We’ve developed an easy and risk-free partnership program that helps deserving organizations to mobilize their constituents to raise money and awareness for their cause. In 2010, our inaugural partners raised over $24,000.  The Wrigley Start Early Run is scheduled for April 23, 2011 in Chicago’s Grant Park.

For more information, or to join our partner program, please contact Lissa Domoracki at 312-456-0600 or ldomoracki@voices4kids.org.