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At the height of his political power, Ald. Ed Burke joked that there were three ways for members of the Chicago City Council to leave: The ballot box; The pine box; The jury box. Burke’s career will come to an end under the shadow of a 14-count indictment alleging the powerful politician repeatedly — and brazenly — used his elected office to force those doing business with the city to hire his private law firm.
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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Eddie is a dumb arse.
Tried to shake down the largest Burger King franchise owner in North America.
I can only imagine the conversation with his Illinois SC wifey after the Feds charged him.
SMH and RALMAO!!
He’s laughing all the way to the bank. Mere hand slap prosecution for the mob-boss Burkes.
Karma has come home to roost! The man is a total jerk and egomaniac. The caddies at Beverly are raising a glass to his imprisonment!
He finally figured out that he had stolen enough money to retire, hopefully to prison.
Considering the future prison pathway that is much of Chicago City Council membership, it is reasonable to assume that most of the newbie CTU campaign funded City Council members will end up sharing a prison cell with Burke and Madigan. From corrupt union to corrupt politicians to felons. That’s the CTU path forward. Maybe Brandon Johnson will join them.
This man deserves no praise or recognition. He became weak and allowed the power to corrupt him. He will soon be convicted. He and his wife’s legacy on Illinois is a cancer to be fought by all the honest families in Illinois.
People sometimes forget about his wife…the pair of them will now be gone. Finally.
Eddie and Mikey can share a cell in Joliet.
The CTU will make sure their boys are well taken care of though.