December 18, 2018 | Wirepoints

Former Gov. Jim Edgar is on Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker’s transition team, providing advice on how to “fix” the same problem he created. An old Daily Chronicle piece from 1994, sheds some additional light on the Edgar Ramp, the pension “reform” that helped unleash Illinois’ current pension crisis.

“Illinois true retirement costs would consume 50% of the budget. In most states, it’s 15%” – Ted on WJPF

December 18, 2018 6 Comments

Ted was on WJPF with Tom Miller last week discussing Illinois’ other retirement debt: The $73 billion the state owes in retiree health insurance benefits to state workers. Increasing healthcare costs, coupled with even higher pension payments, will eat up even more of the state’s budget in the future.

Get ready, Illinois, for the government you chose – Commentary – Chicago Tribune

December 18, 2018 13 Comments

The Democrats already are rolling out plans for higher taxes, more gambling, legalized dope and additional borrowing, particularly if it’s the risky pension bond-sale variety. Mayor Rahm Emanuel called for a change to the Illinois Constitution’s pension clause to control pension costs. But the most likely action at the city and state levels will be can-kicking and borrowing — exactly what got us here.