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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.
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The Cook County Cop problem: Kim Foxx – soft on crime.
The solution: Ask for a Dem ballot in the primary election, select Bill Conway, and turn it in.
Quick and easy.
However, if there is a closely contested Republican race that captures ones interest in the same primary election, then one has to make a choice.
“However, if there is a closely contested Republican race that captures ones interest in the same primary ” You must not live in Cook County! Are there ever contested Republican races in the primaries that actually matter? I mean, I know that there are a couple of R’s that want to run again Jan Shakowsy (D-Loserville) but she beat the last Republican challenger 75/25 if I remember correctly. I’ve only pulled a D primary ballot once in my life (I felt dirty afterwards) but I felt compelled to vote for ANYONE other than Todd Stroger for Cook County board president.… Read more »
January 28, 2020 – On Tuesday, February 18, the Cook County Republican Central Committee will conduct its 2020 Endorsement Session for all contested GOP primary races located within all or parts of Cook County. The Endorsement Session will begin promptly at 7:30pm and will be held at Gene and Georgetti, 9421 W. Higgins Rd. in Rosemont. The full Cook County Republican Central Committee will only vote to endorse in races where the district runs countywide. For the 2020 election, that will include the U.S. Senate race and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s race. For those legislative districts that only run… Read more »
Here’s the candidate listing for the March 17, 2020 primary, from the Cook County Clerk’s website.
http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/view-all-candidates
Here’s most of the Republican primary contested elections in Cook County:
US Senator (Mark Curran Jr, Tom Tarter, Casey Chlebek, Peggy Hubbard, Robert Marshall).
US Representative 3rd, 5th, 6th, & 11th Congressional Districts.
Delegates and alternate delegates for President to the National Nominating Convention.
State Representative, 45th District (Michael Camerer, Al Manzo, Randy Ramey).
State’s Attorney (Pat O’Brien, Christopher Pfannkuche).
Judge, 13th Cook County Subcircuit (Vacancy of Kulys Hoffman) (Angel Garcia,
Gary William Seyring).
45th Ward Committeeperson (Michael McAuliffe, Ammie Kessem).
Here are the candidates in Cook County Republican primary contested elections on March 17, 2020 for US Representative. 3rd District (Mike Fricilone, Arthur J. Jones, Catherine A O’Shea). The 3rd Congressional District is entirely in Cook County and is held by Democrat Dan Lipinski, who himself is in a contested primary election in large part due to his opposition to most types of abortion. 5th District (Tommy Hanson, Kimball Ladien). The 5th Congressional District covers parts of Cook and DuPage Counties and is currently held by Democrat Mike Quigley. 6th District (Jeanne Ives, Jay Kinzler). The Republicans hope to win… Read more »
The Republicans running in the Cook County races are all losers. Why even bother. They might be ‘contested’ primaries but each and every one of them will lose their respective general election by 10 or more points. The Cook County GOP can’t even bother to pay $10.00 a month to buy a real domain. They’re using, for goodness sake, a gmail address as their primary email address. I’ll vote straight ticket Republican in November but I’m pulling a Dem ballot in March just to pick Bernie. Because really, that’s the only race my vote will have any chance at affecting.… Read more »
The Cook County Republican Party website is http://www.cookrepublicanparty.com.
In 2018, Illinois House District 45 flipped.
Incumbent Republican Christine Winger was defeated by Diane Pappas by 1.6% (672 votes).
Cynthia Borbas was uncontested in that 2018 primary, but withdrew before the general election and was replaced by Pappas.
https://ballotpedia.org/Diane_Pappas
The Chicago Republican 45th Ward Committeeperson (Michael McAuliffe, Ammie Kessem) primary election winner will not lose to a Democrat in the general election, because there is no Chicago Ward Committeeperson general election.
Each Chicago Ward has one Democrat and one Republican Committeeperson, which are voter elected political, not government positions.
Yes, those are interesting nuances to the local GOP races. Thank you for pointing them out. I’m still pulling a Dem ballot just to vote Bernie. It’s very sad that my suburban district has both its house and senate seat up for grabs this year. My local house rep is a dem running in the primary unopposed. There is no republican challenger as of yet. The senate seat Dem is also running unopposed. There is a ‘write in’ candidate for the republicans. IL GOP can’t even be bothered to get a republican’s name on my ballot, because of gerrymandered districts… Read more »
Referendums, which obviously appear on both Democratic and Republican ballots, are another possible reason to vote in the primary election.
There are 41 referenda (bond, home rule, cannabis, etc.) by local Cook County property taxing districts on the March 18, 2020 ballot.
This is not an all inclusive list but there are referendums in Barrington, Berkeley, Blue Island, Burbank, Burr Ridge, Calumet Park, Cicero, Des Plaines, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Lemont, Lynwood, Morton Grove, North Riverside, Northlake, Riverside, Rolling Meadows, Rosemont, Schiller Park, South Barrington, Stone Park, Westchester, and Wheeling.
http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/view-all-referenda
“Referendums” yes, those. The blue wave of low information Democrat voters last year passed a $300,000,000 bond referendum in my area. We had a choice of a $150,000,000 bond issue instead, but the spendthrifts spending everyone else’s money decided upon the most expensive option, and voted up my taxes up $500 a year for the next 30 years. All to support the union labor doing the construction and the union teachers they hire. Because, well, Orange Man Bad. I really, really F’in hate this state. I can’t wait until I can squeeze what money I can from this state’s faltering… Read more »
The largest successful school district referendum in 2019 falling all or partially in Cook County was about $139M principal + $69M interest = $208M total.
Voters say ‘yes’ to Maine Township District 207’s $195 million bond referendum
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/ct-prh-maine-schools-referendum-tl-1115-story.html
Taxpayer Interest Cost on Bonds is Projected to be $46 Million Less than Originally Anticipated
Original Estimated Debt Service Cost Estimate
$300,111,417
Current Estimated Debt Service Cost
$253,350,562
https://maine207.org/news/taxpayer-interest-cost-on-bonds-is-projected-to-be-46-million-less-than-originally-anticipated/
The Maine Township HSD 207 bond referendum was in November 2018.
The $139M principal + $69M interest = $208M total referendum referenced above was in April 2019 in Hinsdale Twp HSD 86.
The bond issue in Hinsdale failed the first time, and it passed during the blue wave only after the school board threatened to cut the football program.
Is this really a bad idea?