-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Summary and audio linked here.
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.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Full interview and summary linked here.
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I have a hard time believing those statistics. My building (42 stories) is a ghost town. Walking in at 8:30 today I saw one other person. Before covid there would be people sitting in the lobby and the escalators would be full at 8:30. Security guards tells us that we’re at about 20% of pre-covid attendance.
The data from Kastle Systems only covers the buildings that have their security entry systems. They cover many buildings nationwide but there obviously can be gaps in their data. I’m not aware of anyone else publishing such data. However, I would believe their data over city data from Dem mayors.
Crazy to even think of having a nice dinner and some drinks when you need to be alert as possible for thugs on the lose terrorizing people.
Woke and broke.
Woker and broker after the Safe-T act kicks in.
And then there’s the Worker’s Rights amendment. All of the thugs and hoodlums can form a union and negotiate for better “working” conditions…..
Two Friday evenings ago, with terrific weather, at Michigan and Chestnut at 530pm, and then at 800pm at Michigan an Ontario, almost no one on the streets. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing– or really not seeing.
Welcome to West Detroit
Chicago shut itself down for two years, for equity, and now the region has moved on. The struggles of recovery are compounded by its reputation as a progressive sanctuary city because these values make recruiting difficult. People keep saying that crime and taxes are what make recruiting difficult but it’s deeper than that. It’s progressive values themselves. They repel hard working centrists, independents and conservatives. Ask any college educated conservative anywhere in the country, would you take a good paying job in NYC or LA? Some would probably say yes: NYC is the center of the world and LA, especially… Read more »
Spot on. That’s why the leading export of Venezuela is Venezuelans!
This is the new normal, downtown Chicago is unlikely to ever return pre-pandemic traffic without some substantial change in circumstances, like a massive population increase, a sudden increase in CPS desirability, or climate change making Chicago’s weather on par with Southern California.
Wow, who would thought than not locking up gang bangers would result in reduced economic activity.
The democrats
The only foot traffic downtown is people running from shootings, carjackings, looting, street robberies and an assortment of other violent crimes. Running for your life apparently counts as foot traffic