-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150203/NEWS11/150209921/futuregen-clean-coal-plant-is-dead Obama killed it. Good.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150203/NEWS02/150209930/two-chicago-suburbs-lose-their-credit-ratings Comment: Part of the reason was failure to keep up their financial filings, so you have to wonder if Country Club Hills, which we wrote about here, is far behind.
http://www.chicagonow.com/vociferous-envoy/2015/01/150-years-since-the-us-house-passed-the-thirteenth-amendment/ Comment: Time for Illinois to ‘loose the fateful lightning once again.’
http://www.janney.com/File Library/Fixed Income/Pensions-Feb-2015.pdf#481_42771896_18460_-1_1422992883649
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150203/BLOGS02/150209952/promise-problems-for-high-paying-factory-jobs-in-chicago?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow
http://watchdog.org/196094/school-choice-illinois/
The settlement reached was with the credit ratings agency S&P over allegations it jacked up ratings for sub-prime mortgage securities to boost its own profits. Comment: Shocked, shocked to think that an agency would jack up ratings on the issuer that hires and pays it. They better be terrified about rating on Illinois state and local municipal bonds. http://chicago.suntimes.com/business/7/71/340230/sp-paying-1-38b-government-settlement
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150202/NEWS02/150209953/what-obamas-budget-means-for-chicago Airport money, freight handling, a long range bomber and more.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-gowins/illinois-neglects-child-c_b_6582738.html
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/02/03/illinois-democrats-content-to-wait-for-rauner-proposals/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/ct-medicaid-expansion-cost-0203-biz-20150202-story.html Let’s hope the Associated Press reads this, which yesterday did a hatch job on this issue.
By: Mark Glennon* A different and more heartbreaking way to look at the Illinois pension fiasco is contained in a report just issued by the National Council on Teacher Quality, Doing the Math on Teacher Pensions. They calculated unfunded teacher pension liabilities on a per pupil basis for each state. That’s appropriate because today’s students will be paying much of the bill, and it’s direct spending on their educations that is reduced by pension costs. Illinois, no surprise, is worst in the nation, with $27,000 per pupil (page 78). For our neighbors, Wisconsin is $30; Indiana, $11,000; Iowa,
SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER