-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
"Legislators, according to news reports, reportedly will be making some proposals to consider during the brief fall veto session. That wouldn’t provide much time to examine what would have to be complicated proposals. Indeed, it might open the door to another rush to judgment that leaves too little time and too few people with a full understanding of what’s on the table."
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Audio and summary Illinois bill would override local law to allow homeless living in all public parks – Wirepoints
April 14, 2026
24 Comments
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago Fiscal Crisis Worse Than Pre-Bankruptcy Detroit, HIV Surge and Public Health Threat From Open Borders Goes Unreported
April 10, 2026
2 Comments
Summary and audio linked here.
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
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.
WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times falsely blame Texas Gov. Abbott for 2020 to 2024 surge in Chicago Latino HIV, AIDS infections – Wirepoints Quickpoint
March 31, 2026
11 Comments
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
No, that’s like saying there serious about reducing property taxes, never ever gonna happen in corruption land of Illinois.
Go after police, Judges and Legislators pensions. Even after changes in 2010 they are still significanlty higher than your regular state employee. Of course, that won’t be done.
The dirty little secret nobody mentions is early retirement entitlements with pensionspiked contractial obligations (after 10-20 years) which dwarf. 30-years-worked social security payouts.
Nurses don’t get that. If it is financially supportable, there is no doubt that nurses would all sign up for similar deal from Illinois:
work10-20 years to age 58, pay ZERO withholding tax i(instead of mandatory 6.2%) into social security, and collect 200%+ of social security entitlements forever with 3% minimum annual COLA.
Nurses can get pensions just like anyone else that wants to work for the state. Just go apply online with the Illinois Department of Health.
Of course not. There is nothing to examine with existing pensions. They are contracts. They cannot be impaired, changed, diminished or lessened. Period full stop. Like it or hate it, it is contract law. And, if your broke little prairie town can’t pay for it, too bad. Fire the librarian, fire the dog catcher, pay my pension. Still can’t pay, fire the fireman and the cop. Pay me. The unions will not budge, you don’t pay dues. At the state level, your elected criminal representative can only hope for a federal bailout, its the only option. BJ and team actually… Read more »
Contracts are made to be broken. Courts then rule on them. Let the Federal courts get involved and see the new decisions come out.
There are numerous unsustainable commitments (and corresponding expectations) in the USA and elsewhere. Social security, water supply, insurance of shoreline property, infrastructure, French pensions. African agriculture. Many of these are due to fanciful economics over decades, uninformed voters and politicians who covet power above constituent welfare.
When we reap the whirlwind, most of us will have a claim to reparations or some other type of government repair of its past sins. People will be living then a day or a week at a time. Pensions will drop to the bottom of the list of problems.
“We have a fiscal system that really can’t put the money into funding this (pension) ramp without either a tax increase, a relatively significant one, and/or cutting spending on services, neither of which are sort of the best outcomes for taxpayers,” Ralph Martire, executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, recently told a state House committee.”
Yep. Good ‘ol Ralph. Except that “relatively significant” aren’t the two words I’d use to describe the size of the pension tax increase required.
‘Pyrrhic’ and ‘pestilential’ come to mind…..
State ending…
My best guess is no – because the Unions are lining their pockets. I believe that many of these same individuals also receive pensions, so in essence the system is rigged. Would like to think that I am wrong.
TS,
IMO its a massive RACKET hoisted on Illinois taxpayers by da Dems and their masters da public sector unions.