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"An approximation of the cost to upgrade our system is $50 million," U.S. Sen. Mike Simmons said. "Upon renewal, the new contract needs to include the transition to smart card chips."
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Audio and summary Why the Holdup Using Artificial Intelligence to Cut Illinois Government Costs? – Wirepoints
May 19, 2026
8 Comments
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Note to readers from Mark Glennon re: Ukraine
May 6, 2026
4 Comments
Everybody needs a side hustle these days, and mine is Ukraine, where I am now.
Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer – Chicago’s struggling commercial real estate and more
April 22, 2026
5 Comments
Summary and audio linked here.
Audio and summary
Going unsaid in this article is how does a “smart chip” card reduce fraud. Inquiring minds want to know.
Yep, agreed. If you are going to spend $50M for tools to administer a prOgram that gives away money, please explain. This prOgram already spends $60M each year on staffing to administer it (so what are those people doing?) and combined Federal and state funding of $4.7B or $393M a month in Illinois alone. The cost of this is absurd and gotta be filled with Billions in fraud.