Audio: Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon says Chicago pension buyout plan mostly shifts debt rather than eliminating it, property tax surge doubles inflation over three decades – Chicago’s Morning Answer
April 3, 2026
9 Comments
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.
Illinois lost another 54,000 tax filers and dependents, net, according to the IRS. Since 2000, fleeing taxpayers have taken $94 billion of annual adjusted gross income with them.
Debtsor had posted some thoughts the other day about the possibility of Durban bowing out in 2026 allowing Pritzker to take his seat. This would allow Pritzker to distance himself from the harm he has caused Illinois paving the way for a Presidential run in 2028. I can see the possibilities in this as all the other candidates, figuring a Pritzker win, would only have to step back a couple of years for their run for the Senate seat. The Illinois media, dreaming of being the chosen ones, would be only to happy to paper over the problems Pritzker has… Read more »
They won’t be able to cover up his failures when he tries to run for president. Nationally he will be destroyed because Illinois is in such terrible shape. There are many, many issues Republicans will point to such as population loss, pension debt, terrible business environment, counties wanting to cede, public union corrupt power, on and on. The fact he is a fat slob actually will make him look bad as well. He has zero chance of being president.
Consider that as a Senator he could agree with your statement and simply point his fingers and blame it all on Madigan and then twist it into a situation where he could claim credit for getting rid of Madigan with an “I cleaned up Illinois” speech. Pritzker does a pretty good job at finger pointing and, as we have seen, the Illinois Press does a pretty good job of doing his bidding. Not trying to argue…just the way I see it.
His stupid tactics don’t work nationally. That has been proven. Any time he is called out he bumbles like a fool. He has zero chance. Pritz did nothing to get rid of Madigan at all.
With the DuPage County Board renaming a courthouse in their quest to normalize infanticide, you’d think that the Turdbin would be on the chopping block.
The Turdbin ran as a pro-life Democrat, back before those political animals became extinct.
Damn right! We need a Republican to take his seat.
Juliana Stratton, governor WIDE-LOADs right hand gal has already been chosen. If Durbin should decide (or forced out like Biden) not to run again.