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.
Is Lori aware a bond represents an obligation? This isn’t free money! You’re expected to pay the bond holders! This is simply bad paper to pave over the train wreck of Chicago finances. Let’s get our hands on the money first then the future chumps can pay it off! It’s a win win for the city!