A Tale of Two Chicagos – RealClear

"It doesn’t have to be this way."
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S and P 500
4 years ago

This is scary stuff. It’s like Lightfoot took off her mask and revealed herself to be the Joker in Gotham City.

Illinois Entrepreneur
4 years ago

There is no democrat in this state that will ever buck the public employee unions. No one. And given that no republican will ever be elected here, either, there is only one outcome that Chicago is headed to: insolvency. Bankruptcy will not happen because the unions will not allow the legislature to pass a law allowing for bankruptcy. They want their pensions paid until the very last day until it all collapses. Then they figure that the Illinois Constitution will take care of them before any bondholders, who will all be wiped out. If you lend to Chicago/Cook County/Illinois, you… Read more »

EX-IL Resident
4 years ago

This is best and most dead-on comment seen on this board. Absolutely correct . Unions own IL and all the reptile politicians (that are supposed to represent the tax payers). No chance for any meaningful reform no chance . Market will take over eventually but until then the taxes will sky rocket across the board.

debtsor
4 years ago
Reply to  EX-IL Resident

Insolvency not coming any time soon. Expect lots of decay before pension get cut. We are a generation away, or more.

S and P 500
4 years ago
Reply to  debtsor

Union teachers better expect lots of decay in their classrooms. CPS will never be able to buy new $100 textbooks so I wonder what they’ll do for books. Watch on you-tube “WAND TV NEWS I-TEAM: The ABC’s Of Our Crumbling Schools”

debtsor
4 years ago
Reply to  S and P 500

My elementary school playground – where I grew up – is over 30 years old. How many monthly pension payments does it take to replace a playground? Meanwhile, as the infrastructure decays, the wealthier residents move out, and are replaced by poorer folk (usually illegal and legal immigrants), aka reverse gentrification, and drives down property values, results in less tax revenues, shutters retail, and the cycle of decay continues unabated 30 years after I left.

Freddy
4 years ago
Reply to  EX-IL Resident

You are correct in stating that unions own Illinois. Total public unions employees and retirees are approx 7% or so of total population add in family members maybe 13%. Illinois government represents only the 7% plus family. (To me that goes against all the principles of our Constitution basically to make laws that benefit ALL the people). That leaves 87% of us are responsible to take care of them for life with pensions and healthcare because of behind closed door deals never open to any public scrutiny. It boils down to this. Unions are organized and taxpayers are not. Without… Read more »

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A statewide concern: Illinois’ population decline outpaces neighboring states – Wirepoints on ABC20 Champaign

“We are not in good shape” Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski told ABC 20 Champaign during a segment on Illinois’ latest population losses. Illinois was one of just three states to shrink in the 2010-2020 period and has lost another 300,000 people since then. Ted says things need to change. “It’s too expensive to live here, there aren’t enough good jobs and nobody trusts the government anymore. There’s just other places to go where you can be more satisfied.”

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