-- 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.
SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER
CTU’s already won, the big picture is the CPS increased approx $2.8 bill in budget spending pre to post COVID is PERMANENT!!! The spending’s $$locked-in$$ for CTU members!! CTU’s already won guarantees of ZERO layoffs & ZERO school closures that was funded by all the ARPA-COVID $bucks. All the additional outrageous gigantic pay raises and additional hires are simply outlandish greed that could only happen in a Chicago where there were also ZERO budget cuts in increased approx $6 bill city budget pre to post COVID either. Your a chump if you don’t think all other 852 school distr &… Read more »
Only in a bizarro world would very highly paid teachers “demand” salary increases while their students can’t read, write, or perform basic math functions.
Or, there is another way to look at it, too. You’ll find this as part of contractual settlements very often: the harder the job the greater remuneration required to get it done. How easy do you really think it is to teach in many inner city schools? Would you quit your job and do it for the same pay? Most critics find the task of criticizing far more attractive than to be in the trenches actually having to do the job; being a doer is rarely as inviting.
Teachers are useful for students who are able and willing to learn. For the disruptive ones, tough-minded supervisors – hired to keep order and restrain disruptors – would be way less costly. To be sure, many “able” students are disadvantaged economically or otherwise and may require special attention if the district can afford it. But a few disruptors can demoralize even the “able” students who are willing to learn. I expect classroom teachers are the most able to identify the disruptors. Some of the WOKE ones probably want to socialize disruptors by keeping them in class … and griping about… Read more »
Believe it or not, I’m the first person giving you a thumbs up here. You seem to get it!
And I’ll second that- are you surprised? Now, since we agree, let’s compare that analysis to the demands of Stacy Davis Gates and the CTU. Wait, those leaders don’t say anything like this at all. Too busy talking about teacher abortion rights and green school equity, I guess. Who in the heck elected these leaders?
Any small crack in the solidarity wall – particularly ones disassociated from solving problems with money and time off – is welcome. Parents, students and teachers would cheer if schools were not responsible for solving a city’s social and economic problems. Even taxpayers might applaud for safe streets and busses. How might CTU refocus so that education of the able and the willing is the primary mission?
Close it. Fire them all. Don’t re start it. Just end it. People lose money and retirement all the time in 401K and IRA’s…why should these people have a guarantee…if this ridiculous union’s demands are not reasonable…tell them no and its up to them whether they return. Or declare bankruptcy and close it.
If you have no life, like ME, you can listed to latest negotiation talks: Stacy blobbing on for 27min, filled with name calling, unprofessional, rarely mentioning Latinos who are 50% of CPS students, etc. Actually I couldn’t stomach listening to the entire Stacy (https://www.youtube.com/live/SfCZMCr47Ko?si=8KxEK9PYu_vDDE_r) Martinez and team sounding incredibly reasonable and professional. It’s shocking all the stuff CPS has already agreed to. And Martinez makes it clear, CTU are already currently HIGHEST PAID TEACHERS nationally for big city districts. (https://youtube.com/watch?v=epjr8_6ZuFU&feature=shared ) Anybody who thinks the battle over CPS is just about Chicago is naive. The deal CTU lands you can bet… Read more »
Did she do this from her beach chair in the Bahamas? Just curious.
Bankruptcy Now!
Dissolve all contracts and pensions.
Actually, CTU members might do better in a bankruptcy then they would in a lockout. Inflict pain now. Confusion will follow disruption. Civil war within the union as the Tiers quarrel and active senior employees see the risks more clearly. Lawyers win, of course, but so would taxpayers plus the city and state would be better off, not to mention the students.
These CTU morons are still wearing Wuhan Virus masks? That’s all that you need to know about this terrorist organization. There is only one solution: Bust this organization now. Fire them all. School vouchers to all parents.
Lock them out; offer COBRA so they can pay for their health coverage; if they beg for arbitration: stonewall. Fire as many “excess absentees” as can be documented. Get a restraining order against the Mayor for gross conflicts of interest. Send food trucks to the picket lines — Dutch treat teachers pay for their own lunch. Start pro-rating pensions to preserve assets for those not yet retired. THEN start getting tough.
None of that is happening. Firing people for taking sick days that are contractually allowed. Restraining order for the mayor. Stealing pensions. Where do you come up with such crazy and illegal ideas? Stupidity at its finest. My CTU brothers and sisters will be getting a new contract with a better raise. It may take some more time but it will happen. Get over it. Union Strong!!!
You’re right. Soak those Illinois stupes. They deserve everything they voted for, including trash like the teachers union members.
DO it. Courts can’t decide on craziness, but will decide what’s legal or not and that will take years. Union lawyers will spend “your” treasury and “your” pension funds fighting — which is [of course] part of the defense strategy for dealing with plaintiffs and their counsel. Settling economic issues will turn out to be the most prudent course of action. Pension fiduciaries have a duty of equitable treatment of participants who are active or retired. That include a duty to preserve fund assets. This is a financial emergency and think of all the landlords screwed out of their “contract… Read more »
Awww… nice. At least this time you used the correct verbiage.. brothers AND sisters. I’m glad you were paying attention. Now, try defending your position with sound facts and reasoning, instead of the Marxist shouting points. Betcha can’t…. It’s tough to defend the indefensible.
CTU Pensions are criminally ill gotten gains from bribing Illinois politicians. Period. CTU members have no right to this stolen money and Illinois taxpayers have no responsibility to pay. This Pension scam is a massive organized crime conspiracy going back to the 1960’s and all pension money is stolen money. Everyone In Illinois, except for Public Section Union parasites, know this is the fact and the truth.
Take ’em to court. Since “everyone knows” it’s a slam dunk in your favor to win. Laws are for sissies anyway. All anyone needs in any such legal matters is overwhelming public support, right? Everyone wants to pay less taxes so you have the case won. Let’s celebrate!
It’s not about public support but simply about right and wrong but….OK. Let’s get a change of venue first outside of Pritzker’s purchased court system. Texas or Florida would be preferable but I’d comprise on Indiana or Ohio. Present the basic facts: Public Employee Unions paid campaign cash, votes, and boots on the ground for decades to corrupt Politicians in exchange for grossly above market wages and Cadillac pension plans. Slapping taxpayers with the bill yet hiding the bill from taxpayers. Quid Pro Quo. Criminal conspiracy. Deeply in violation of all forms of elected official’s public duty and financial trust.… Read more »
There’s no IL judge without a conflict of interest because they a!l are eligible for public pensions. A problem with out of state forums is that those judges might have to follow IL statutes, constitution & precedent. Many pensioners reside in FL so if there were a class action against all pensioners, with defendants in multiple states, there might be a path to federal courts. But IL law still governs so an “equity” claim would have to be pled. I’m getting WAY outside my personal expertise here so some litigators should weigh in. Could. It go before a visiting judge… Read more »
One of the major roadblocks to your idea is that cash shouldn’t be given to politicians who will be inclined to vote and generally act for the donor’s benefit. That’s done all the time by companies dealing with giving cash to the national political candidates of their choice. I agree with the basis for your complaint, but if it’s legal in national politics, then it’s next-to-impossible to have it declared illegal in state and local elections, don’t you think? You’re wanting to think it cannot be used legally for your enemies-of-choice, government workers. I doubt that’s a winning argument.
The resolution to the budget and pension problems will not be a legal one. Oh sure, the issues may touch the courts. But there is not nearly enough money to cover obligations, particularly with the objective of preserving budgets assuming the Covid level of funding. Billions in deficits at CPS don’t work. CTU likely thinks bondholders and vendors can be stiffed but that is an invitation to a state takeover. I don’t see bankruptcy- the politicians won’t permit it.
Bondholders will be the ones most likely stiffed. Other municipalities have stiffed bondholders without bankruptcy and the state didn’t take them over. Hard to see that happening to Chicago from a political perspective. What would a politician gain from making these tough decisions? Voters wouldn’t reward them so why take any risk.
Vendors don’t get paid and payroll is shirt? Something has to give.
Correct. It’s like a drought where the aquifers dry out and the river flows diminish. The seller had a well and told the buyer there was plenty of potable water. Five years later the buyer is pumping mud. A teacher may have a “contract right” but contracts are breached all the time — often due to financial troubles of the party that made the promise. Lawsuits about breached contracts are settled all the time. Often, this is because of the delay and legal fees associated with breach of contract suits. Bankruptcy comes into play when there are so many suits… Read more »
Stacy was counting on Sista Kamala to provide more funding to bankrupt blue states. CPS has a billion dollar problem right now, and I don’t know how that fixes itself, but it isn’t by paying underperforming teachers more.
If leaders in Chicago were serious people, then declare an impasse and lock them all out.
Morons control both sides of the bargaining table and STILL can’t get deal done.
If that’s a recent photo with the militants posing as teachers in the background still sporting vid masks, then we know all we need to.
with the usual staged dog-&-pony show with all black folks in photo for majority white upper-income CTU radical left…..SNOOOOOOOZE!!!!
Sounds like a staged fake “stalemate” to give the perception of resistance to CTU so that a “breakthrough” favorable to CTU can be described as being the result of a “tough negotiation” rather than this really being the CTU “negotiating” with the mayors plants on the board.