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.
I have had my own business experience with this, with even a much larger amount of money. The police didn’t care, because they knew they wouldn’t get state’s attorney support. I begged for some kind of prosecution, and told them I would give them everything I had, including numerous witness affidavits, supported by presence at trial, if needed. I heard nothing back from the assigned detective, and nothing ever happened. I am infuriated that I pay taxes for this fiasco. Commercial business pay far more taxes than residents, and we get basically nothing in return. We can talk about all… Read more »
“Anyone want to bet that Kim Foxx will get reelected?” It will be close. And 100% along racial lines. Most African-Americans believe Smollett is innocent, or at least, is a figurative martyr of the MAGA racial hatred boogeyman that exists somewhere in modern Chicago. But whites, even the most progressive (outside of newspaper editorial boards) believe Smollett is totally guilty and Kim Foxx screwed up. The retail theft policy is just window dressing to the smollet case. Hispanics likely believe the same thing as the whites, for the most part. The hispanic caucus doesn’t really run around screaming racism much… Read more »
I avoided the race issue you allude to, but it’s like trying to step around the elephant in the doorway.
There is almost no issue in Chicago that doesn’t transcend racial politics (and animus). It’s really a shame that we can’t have substantive policy debates to the benefit of all people. We have to assert tribal loyalties first.
This is what $400k of Soros’ money buys. First comes the lawlessness and anarchy, then the authoritarian “solution”.