Column: The Pension Combine? Illinois’ Public Pension Unfunding Has A Long And Bipartisan History – Forbes

"Simply put, the public at large simply had no interest in pension funding, but was very much interested in a high level of government services and a low level of taxation. There was therefore no incentive for politicians of either side to fund pensions."
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NB-Chicago
4 years ago

Instead of filling the kiddies heads up with some crt guilt bs, teach then about their true systemic oppressors, irregardless of race. Teach them the history in this fantastic Bauer articale–the crushing legacy of madiganism & pay-to-play combine Illinois politics of the past 60 years!! Mandatory reading for any illinoisan

nixit
4 years ago

Meh. The public never told anyone to not fund pensions. No taxpayer ever said skip a pension payment so we can give everyone raises. If they would’ve been upfront on the actual cost, taxpayers most likely would’ve passed, those people never would’ve been hired, and life would have gone on just fine.

NoHope4Illinois
4 years ago

Good summary article. Would be good for Forbes to follow up on a profile of some of the bigger fat cats in the Combine. Good one to start with is Edgar.

Ex Illini
4 years ago

Well that sure was a depressing read. In summary, all Illinois politicians suck at everything but playing kick the can.

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Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago pension buyout plan mostly shifts debt rather than eliminating it, property tax surge doubles inflation over three decades

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.

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