Pension debt gobbles up school, social service funding – Reboot
July 21, 2015
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Nice summary of the plain facts.
-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
More Illinois kids living in poverty than before recession, report says – Chicago Tribune
July 21, 2015
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Some 21 percent of Illinois children — about 616,000 — were living in poverty in 2013 compared with 17 percent in 2008, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a child advocacy group. Those numbers, the most recent available, closely resemble the national figures, which also show the poverty rates for black and American Indian children were more than double the rate for non-Hispanic whites. In Chicago, about 34 percent of children were living in poverty in 2013.
Court Overturns Some Blagojevich Senate-Seat Convictions – ABC News
July 21, 2015
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Illinois’ Tier 2 Pension Reforms: A Particularly Interesting Comment by a State Rep – WP Original
July 21, 2015
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By: Mark Glennon* You’ll recall that in 2010 Illinois passed, to widespread, bi-partisan applause, the “Tier 2” pension reforms. Under it, state and local workers starting after that year were put into a second category with far lower benefits. Well, in hearings last week on a new pension reform proposal by Governor Rauner, Rep. Michael Zalewski (D-Chicago), said this: “I think its fair to say members of this this committee have genuine concerns that when we created Tier 2 it wasn’t designed designed in a way to be a genuine benefit that people could rely on
Chicago Paying The Price For Junk-Bond Status – Forbes
July 21, 2015
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“Of course, the long-term answer to Chicago’s debt problem is to slash the main expense causing it: public employee pensions.”
8 things to know about Chicago’s pension-reform law – Illinois Policy
July 21, 2015
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Comment: But the city has still never given us the most important information we need — how much the bill would save. That is, how much would unfunded liabilities reduce? We should be getting some kind of objective scoring, but we aren’t.
Attention downtown Chicago diners: 11.25 percent sales tax coming in 2016 – WBEZ
July 21, 2015
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Food and beverage purchases in and around the downtown area are taxed an additional 1 percent, which goes to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the group that owns and manages Navy Pier and McCormick Place.
Chicago Schools Line Up Billion Dollar-Plus in Borrowing – The Bond Buyer
July 21, 2015
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Chicago (and Illinois) Watch: Don’t Think You Can Escape to the Suburbs – Stump
July 21, 2015
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http://stump.marypat.org/article/307/chicago-and-illinois-watch-don-t-think-you-can-escape-to-the-suburbs
Opinion: Workers’ comp is hardly fixed – The Southern
July 21, 2015
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The wage replacement and medical costs that drive workers compensation continue to be much higher here than in most states. Illinois has the seventh most expensive such insurance costs in the nation (down from fourth a few years ago).
Madigan wants LeChien to strike appearances and arguments of Munger’s attorneys – Madison Record
July 21, 2015
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Prior to the hearing, Comptroller Munger moved to disqualify Madigan as her counsel.
Here’s a plan to fill 7 industrial acres near Lincoln Park – Crain’s
July 21, 2015
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After luring Google, Gogo and Hillshire Brands to the West Loop, Chicago developer Sterling Bay soon could be courting tenants for another big office project on two riverside industrial properties just west of Lincoln Park.