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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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It’s a weird article, throwing out some numbers but not really giving a useful analysis. How does out-of-state tuition in a neighboring state compare to in-state tuition at an Illinois gov’t university? “We’re spending a lot of money per student on higher education.” How much? How does that compare to expenditures in other states? “state government spending on higher education in Illinois increased over $2 billion as enrollment dropped by more than 106,000 students between 2009 and 2024.” So what is the absolute amount spent per student, and how does it compare to other states? “more than 10% of university… Read more »
And many will never come back to Illinois once the see a world free of high taxes and high crime.
Back in the old days a few of the directional were good alternatives to U of I. Smaller, cheaper. Depending on major just as good as U of I. But even back in the 80’s there was DEI present and as the years progressed standards were thrown out the window.
How much of the decline in enrollment is attributable to decline in standards?
IL colleges give preferential treatment to foreign and minority students. That is why IL students are leaving the state for college.
WIU and a few others should be closed.
In the mismanaged, taxpayer-abusive state of Illinois, it’s perfectly normal to have education costs increase while student enrollment decreases.
Yep. perfectly normal in Illinois Bizarro-world. Down is up, up is down, when leaving you say bad-by…