Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer
April 22, 2026
No Comments
Summary and audio linked here.
-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
"We know it’s possible to run prudent plans, and States such as Wisconsin, South Dakota and Tennessee have done it for decades. We also know it’s possible for the worst States to improve. Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are still deeply troubled, but have been among the leaders in enacting reforms."
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Audio and summary Illinois bill would override local law to allow homeless living in all public parks – Wirepoints
April 14, 2026
34 Comments
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago Fiscal Crisis Worse Than Pre-Bankruptcy Detroit, HIV Surge and Public Health Threat From Open Borders Goes Unreported
April 10, 2026
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Summary and audio linked here.
Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago pension buyout plan mostly shifts debt rather than eliminating it, property tax surge doubles inflation over three decades
April 3, 2026
9 Comments
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
“Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are still deeply troubled, but have been among the leaders in enacting (pension) reforms.”
What pension reforms has Illinois enacted that have significantly lowered the taxpayers’ burden?
Moving new employees to tier 2 instead of the more generous tier 1. Not only did tier 2 pension reform save Illinois money but these employees pay more in contributions than the actual cost of their pensions. The additional money they pay subsidizes tier 1.
Capping career-end raises at 6%. In the past, schools could and would offer much larger raises to provide an incentive for teachers to retire and get the high cost of an experienced employee off the local payroll.
Thanks. The PTs are still too high; so, hopefully, the IL pols can make more changes to benefit the taxpayer.