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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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Chicago is not coming back sorry to ay folks. The democrats have outdone themselves on this one.
Keep voting democrat Chicago you brought this on!
Was it 38 or 48 people shot last weekend? It’s the commuters who ride CTA and Metra, who used to drive daily, who really don’t welcome their forced return to downtown Chicago. They watch the news, read the newspapers and blogs, and realize it’s not safe to return, not meaning Covid, but rather Chicago downtown, River North, and Mag Mile open-season lawlessness, day after day, night after night, with Lightfoot and Foxx disinterested at reining-in the mayhem and resulting chaos caused to Chicago’s main business districts and former tourist areas. Frankly, even commute downtown itself is dangerous now. There’s a… Read more »
The crime, wildings, carjackings, unsafe CTA and the permissive CPD command staff especially headed by Jacob Alderden in the first district will never make downtown safe. He has allowed blm to riot, Jamal green to stop traffic. Alderden is subservient to Preckwinkle clone , blm /antifa supporter Sophia King who has destroyed the south loop. It’s time for her and Alderden to go. Until the permanent victim class is stopped, Chicago loop and Mag mile will never return.
Michael Edwards is guessing. At this point I think there is likely a higher fear of crime on the streets or on the CTA than there is of COVID. It feels like a return to fully normal will not occur until the city and Kim foxx have gotten the crime rates back down to the rates of a couple of years ago. Used to be one could have a nice walk through Millennium Park after work without a significant concern. That is not the case now. If Kim and Lori won’t do it, well good luck. People do not like… Read more »
It’s more than just crime on the streets. It is the very idea of the commute itself. Moms and Dads with kids have no desire to wake up an hour or two earlier every morning to catch the train, drop kids off early at school/daycare, race around all day and rush home to pick up kids, make a quick dinner, see kids for two hours and then put them back to bed. 5 days a week. And I know peole without young kids that feel like they’ve gotten their life back, and can work out, or run errands during the… Read more »
I think single working Mom’s are terrified of being forced back into the Loop. Suburban Campuses are more desirable. Of course, the rampant crime doesn’t help.
I don’t know anyone excited to return to downtown. Most are actively opposing their employers requests to return. The dates keep getting pushed back..first Memorial Day, then summer, now it’s Labor Day. Most employers seem to be settling on a hybrid, must be in 2-3 days a week.
The summer shoot-em up and crime spree will not help the cause. Chicago is done.
Large accounting firm expecting staff to quit if forced back to Loop office. They are already short-staffed.