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Amanda Kass

@akass.bsky.social
1.6K followers 200 following 383 posts

Research Director, Good Jobs First deep in the public finance weeds, grammar + typo offender, stata frenemy. opinions are my own. She/her Personal site: amandakass.blog

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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I’m just wondering watch the catch is.…I think regulation banning NDAs is still needed. We can’t rely on companies doing it voluntarily
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
same
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Adding, the “desk reject” is unique because it’s often about whether the article is a good fit for the journal, and not necessarily the quality of the research or writing. so excellent articles can—and do—get desk rejects. That’s an aspect of the academic publish process that’s often unclear
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Was reminded how humbling academic publishing can be. coauthors and I submitted what is one of my favorite articles to a journal we thought was a strong fit only to get a near immediate desk reject. on to the next journal!
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Yeah, I mean the big picture seems to be they’re refinancing debt to address current year budget hole. Refinancing debt on its own isn’t bad, but Chicagos case I think the issue is the need to refinance debt to address current year operating budget holes.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
So is this back to scoop and toss?
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
good read. Would just add the billions of taxpayer dollars going to the data center buildout that are draining money away from things like schools to your list
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Amy Hanauer @amyhanauer.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Get paid to tax the rich. ITEP is hiring a Senior Researcher for our state team. itep.org/hiring-senio...
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Hi hi welcome back! I have some ideas for stories
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
First of all, hiiii! Second, that’s criminal
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Thank you! I was guessing it was tied to the CH purchase, but not sure. I’m just shocked to see how common it is now.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Wait, how much is it these days? Malort should never be $20 or more
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Just saw a Malort delivery truck in Connecticut. I remember when you couldn’t get it outside of Chicago. Has anyone written about the national expansion of Malort?
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Happy Sunday! Good the good news that an article on state pensions that @240front.bsky.social, Ken Kriz, and I have been working on for YEARS was accepted for publication! The reviews and revisions led to a much stronger final paper
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Amy Hanauer @amyhanauer.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The uber rich got enormous tax cuts. We got cyclosporiasis.
theguardian.com
Trump’s deep public health cuts hinder response to record US cyclosporiasis outbreak
Experts say layoffs, reduced disease surveillance and Medicaid cuts have made the foodborne parasite more difficult to track and contain
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
similar to what Toronto was like this morning! Reminds me of CA wildfires from 2020
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Always read what the brilliant @philiprocco.bsky.social has to say
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
An incredible 2 days!
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
New bog from me: goodjobsfirst.org/ida-tax-abat...
goodjobsfirst.org
IDA Tax Breaks Fall Hardest on New York School Districts Serving More Black, Latino, and Native American Students, New Research Finds - Good Jobs First
New research: New York public schools serving larger numbers of Black, Latino, and Native American students pay more in corporate tax breaks.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 25/06/2026
The EEOC has historically enforced discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race and gender. But under the Trump Administration, it has shifted to a focus on enforcing anti-DEI practices and "anti-Christian bias." goodjobsfirst.org/a-new-era-at...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 17/06/2026
And stop by @goodjobsfirst.org's table to learn more about all our databases and work, including education and data centers. Say hi to @arlenemartinez.bsky.social, and meet our new Executive Director Allan Freyer! goodjobsfirst.org/dr-allan-fre...
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Excited to be joined at #IRE26 by a cracker jack group of reporters sharing tips on covering the growing corporate influence. Learn how to dig into behavior and relationships, even when you're on deadline. Join us Thurs, June 18 at 2:30 p.m.! And don't forget to stop by the @goodjobsfirst.org table!
Concentrated power: Covering the growing corporate influence session image for Thursday, June 18 at 2:30 p.m. at #IRE26
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
The political ads have been real interesting
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Thank you DC for the relatively humidity free day and overall beautiful weather
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Incredible shots! Cool to see it’s fish too. We have several osprey nests near us
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Good thread!
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
New report from my fantastic colleague @kasia-t.bsky.social on the soaring cost of data center subsidies.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
What’s this from?
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 01/06/2026
At least for now, the owners of the Chicago Bears and other wealthy owners/developers have been blocked from getting the massive taxpayer subsidies they tried to score. chicago.suntimes.com/bears-stadiu...
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
part of the issue is that when the data center tax subsidy programs were created the industry was totally different. The programs were created pre-hyperscale and the industry change has been so rapid. Ohio is not the only state that had totally off estimates
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
It is eye popping how wildly inaccurate estimates for data center tax breaks have been. Ohio thought its program would cost less than $150million, but it’s actually over $1billion
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I mean it could be so much worse…
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Am curious how they will enforce it and check for AI use. I found AI detection software unreliable
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 14/05/2026
It's bad enough the wealthy owners of the Chicago Bears want taxpayers to help fund their stadium, but the proposed mechanism to do that would give just about every other huge project massive, decades-long tax breaks. Our latest, with @itep.org, for Crains: www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/comm...
chicagobusiness.com
Opinion: The Bears bill is bad by design. Here’s how.
State Senate leaders are debating whether to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize a new Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights, but this bill has much broader impacts.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I may no longer live in Chicago, but forever a Chicagoan
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Thoughts on it (co-authored with my GJF colleague and ITEP) in a Crain’s op-ed www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/comm...
chicagobusiness.com
Opinion: The Bears bill is bad by design. Here’s how.
State Senate leaders are debating whether to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize a new Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights, but this bill has much broader impacts.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
And it puts it on local governments to negotiate deals with the developer. Sure, the governments could say no (and weight of vote is tied to taxes collected), but look at Arlington Heights! It’s all too willing to yes To a bad deal
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
This is such bad legislation. it’s not just giving a massive tax cut to the Bears, but creating a new statewide program to give tax cuts to any projects costing $100M or more (with some exclusions) it’s like creating Prop 13, but only for a select class of property owners
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
turning my attention to the Bears/megadevelopment proposed legislation… lot of thoughts on this one
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Oh dang, that stinks. there were lots of delays and cancellations yesterday but weather was looking better today
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Excited to be back in Chicago for this year’s ICUA @uaanews.bsky.social I‘m on panels Wednesday and Thursday, and my collaborator @akheilsingla.bsky.social is presenting Friday.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
I’ve been wondering about this
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 14/04/2026
🚨NEW ANALYSIS🚨 14 states and scores of localities fail to disclose how much revenue they lose to data center tax breaks. Yet such losses are known to be soaring in states that do disclose, with three states already losing $1 billion or more per year. 🧵 goodjobsfirst.org/data-center-...
I cannot think of an industry less in need of tax incentives. AI is so problematic for so many reasons. Why would we also allow it to defund our public schools, health care, and safety? - quote by Good Jobs First Executive Director Greg LeRoy
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 03/03/2026
🚨NEW ANALYSIS 🚨 Public money for immigration enforcement is flowing to a small number of corporations with long regulatory rap sheets. Read our new report about the $4 billion per year private ICE contractor business: goodjobsfirst.org/ice-contract...
Oversight on Thin ICE
Inside the Companies Enforcing Federal Immigration Policy
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
another day, another blizzard 🌨️
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 18/02/2026
Lincoln, Nebraska is taking an unusual approach with Tax Increment Financing: it's using the program to boost its affordable housing stock. Landlords get $15,000 per unit, and in exchange must accept vouchers & keep rents below HUD limits for 20 years. goodjobsfirst.org/lincolns-exe...
goodjobsfirst.org
Lincoln’s Exemplary TIF: Weatherizing Rentals Without Pricing Tenants Out  - Good Jobs First
In Lincoln, Nebraska the city is using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to help landlords improve rental housing to keep those units affordable.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Last month I joined @goodjobsfirst.org as its research director. And while I’m still very much in learning mode, I had the chance to write a blog on how Lincoln is using TIF to help landlords weatherize and rehab buildings while keeping rents affordable goodjobsfirst.org/lincolns-exe...
goodjobsfirst.org
Lincoln’s Exemplary TIF: Weatherizing Rentals Without Pricing Tenants Out  - Good Jobs First
In Lincoln, Nebraska the city is using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to help landlords improve rental housing to keep those units affordable.
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Good for you!!!!
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Even with the delay, Amtrak to DC is very pleasant
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