-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
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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How about putting these vacant lots to work. An asphalt plant or highway construction debris, rates will vary depending on the neighborhood.
Portable pawn shops to fence stolen goods or a place to put used nuclear fuel rods.
I like the idea of portable pawn shops! Most likely the trunk of a car. The licensing fees would generate billions!
Yes, in theory, beautifying vacant lots does improve the aesthetics of a neighborhood. But unfortunately in these neighborhoods, playgrounds and basketball courts are attractive hangouts for gangbangers, and are often used to sell drugs, recruit members and do graffiti. In many instances, they become an attractive nuisances for mass shooters to shot multiple adversaries at once. Community gardens become overgrown weed patches that attract vermin, creatures and pests that eat the neglected fruits and vegetables. The lots are vacant today because the city tore down the previous building that used to be there because it was another attractive nuisance for… Read more »
The first step to hope is making criminals accountable for their crimes and getting them off the streets!
Depending on the crime either put them behind bars or re-instate the death penalty.
Play grounds and happy open spaces will NOT soften criminals actions.