bweisenstein

@bradweisenstein

Editor, Journalist, @IllinoisPolicy, [email protected], lifelong #BellevilleIL denizen, #running, #poppop, #outdoors

Belleville, IL

Joined January 2009

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Jul 2

Illinois’ dysfunction could be worse if the Illinois General Assembly put their minds to it. My latest opinion for @illinoispolicy on @thecentersquare thecentersquare.com/opinion/articl…

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Jun 18

Mike Madigan's damage to Illinoisans warranted a lot more than 7.5 years in prison. My opinion for @illinoispolicy in @thecentersquare thecentersquare.com/opinion/articl…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s crimes against the people of Illinois warranted a sentence of 105 years – just for his role in the ComEd bribes for influence scandal,

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Apr 17

My latest opinion for @illinoispolicy on @MikeJMadigan and buying influence in the Statehouse. chicagobusiness.com/opinion/public…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. The next time Illinois state lawmakers want to restrict corrupting influences, they should look at public sector unions.

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Jan 23

My opinion piece on replacing Illinois' flag landed in the Chicago Tribune. Spoiler: Don't. @illinoispolicy @chicagotribune chicagotribune.com/2025/01/23/opi…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. Vote for the current Illinois flag not because it is so great, but because anything else wastes our tax dollars.

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Sep 5, 2023

School choice for Illinois' public leaders, but not for impoverished families? My opinion on saving the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships for @illinoispolicy published by @thecentersquare thecentersquare.com/illinois/artic…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. Three of Rena Garrett’s children went to Chicago Public Schools. Their troubles convinced her the fourth, Courtney, needed something different when he got to high school.

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Nov 2, 2022

Amendment 1 in Illinois says nothing about property taxes, but then do Illinois politicians EVER tell us what things will cost? My latest opinion piece for @illinoispolicy in @thecentersquare thecentersquare.com/illinois/op-ed…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. When was the last time an Illinois politician told you how much something was going to cost before the fact?

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Oct 26, 2022

Taxation without representation should NOT be the future of Illinois. Vote NO on Amendment 1. My latest opinion on the subject for @illinoispolicy and @thecentersquare thecentersquare.com/illinois/op-ed…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. Did you vote for Stacy Davis Gates? How about Roberta Lynch? Are you comfortable with them deciding how much you pay in taxes?

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Oct 18, 2022

Illinois government unions are expanding their demands well beyond compensation, and if Amendment 1 passes expect to see the tax bills grow. My latest opinion piece for @IllinoisPolicy and @TheCenterSquare thecentersquare.com/illinois/op-ed…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. The Cook County College Teachers Union is planning a strike for the end of October unless the college’s students get housing and day care services (the teachers also want more

bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Jul 17

Should have gotten a state job. I’d be retired by now. My latest for @illinoispolicy realclearmarkets.com/articles/2025/…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. It seems $100,000 is a good benchmark for prosperity: it’s something to strive for that is within reach when the average Illinois salary is $69,020. Apply that amount to taxpayer-supported

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Illinois Policy@illinoispolicy · Dec 19

🚨BREAKING For the first time in 11 years, Illinois’ population is growing. But it’s not due to jobs or housing—it’s buses from Texas. Here’s how 112,955 migrants boosted Illinois’ population. 🧵

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Jun 9, 2024

Tax-happy Illinois and its record-setting big spender. My latest piece for @DailyCaller and @illinoispolicy dailycaller.com/2024/06/08/bra…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. Hope in Illinois is sort of like one of those trick birthday candles: just when you think it’s been extinguished, it sparks and comes alive again and again.

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Dec 12, 2023

My latest on the hypocrisy of @stacydavisgates and the @ChicagoTeachers union for @illinoispolicy BTW, she just missed paying back property taxes owed in Indiana, hurting public schools there. dailycaller.com/2023/12/12/opi…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. What does it say when a leader makes $289,000 a year, demands “the wealthy” pay their fair share, takes a tax break for a house she doesn’t live in and refuses to pay bills that piled up?

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Nathan Hoffman@Milenatehoff · Nov 10, 2023

These 4 wealthy and well-connected private school parents fought to keep more than 9,000 low-income and working class children from accessing the same schools their kids attend.

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Austin Berg@Austin__Berg · Nov 10, 2023

Today @GovPritzker became the first governor in America to kill a school choice program. More than 9,600 low-income students across Illinois now find their education in jeopardy. They face the possibility of being forced out of their school. Some of those schools will simply…

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Nov 10, 2023

Disadvantaged kids lose, teachers unions win, state lawmakers sell themselves again. My latest op-ed for @illinoispolicy on @thecentersquare. thecentersquare.com/illinois/artic…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. Invest in Kids might have helped over 9,600 low-income students choose a school that better fit their needs, but in the end those students failed to carry as much weight

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Oct 31, 2023

Trick for 9,600 Illinois low-income students if Illinois state lawmakers treat teachers unions by killing school choice next week. My latest for @illinoispolicy in @realclearpolicy realclearpolicy.com/2023/10/31/ill…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. Want to get angry about politics and politicians? Few things set people off as much as popular ideas and programs getting squelched by politicians listening to powerful, monied special interests. Whic

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Sep 18, 2023

BRAD WEISENSTEIN: Illinois, There’s Still Time To Save Kids’ Dreams Of A Good Education dailycaller.com/2023/09/16/opi… via @dailycaller

bradweisenstein's tweet card. George Kokuro is a public high school freshman who dreams of becoming a lawyer. It’s a dream his father instilled in him.

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Illinois Policy@illinoispolicy · Dec 22, 2022

BREAKING: Illinois' population dropped by a record 104,437 in 2022 – marking its 9th straight year of population decline

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bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Dec 22, 2022

Illinois loses 104K people in 2022, 9th year in a row. @illinoispolicy illinoispolicy.org/illinois-popul…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. People moving out of Illinois drove the highest population loss on record in 2022, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows.

bweisenstein@bradweisenstein · Oct 10, 2022

More power for 7% of Illinois workers with government jobs, tax hikes for the rest of us. @illinoispolicy @thecentersquare thecentersquare.com/illinois/op-ed…

bradweisenstein's tweet card. If American labor has a golden patron, it surely must be President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But FDR had pretty distinct views about private-sector labor unions versus government unions.