Congratulations, Illinois. Governor Quinn and AFSCME, the union representing some 35,000 state workers, announced they have reached a deal for a new contract. Just don’t ask what the deal is or how much it will cost us. Neither AFSCME or Quinn are saying, and no terms are released.
The contract must be ratified by AFSCME workers and details will come out as part of that process, but in the meantime you’ll just have to trust our governor. That’s the same governor who got elected promising a big pay raise to those workers just before the election.
AFSCME says it’s “very pleased” and Quinn says it’s “fair to both hard-working state employees and all taxpayers of Illinois.” Who would question that?
Mark Glennon
If you’re frustrated with Illinois’ educational results, you may want to follow the money from teachers unions. In the last four years alone, Illinois lawmakers and political candidates have taken nearly $30 million in contributions from teachers unions and their national affiliates.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski testified on April 10, 2024 to members of the House Revenue and Finance Committee at the invitation of Rep. Joe Sosnowski. Ted told lawmakers that the state’s property tax burden has become dire for countless Illinoisans.
Ted joined WLS 890’s PM Chicago Show to discuss Chicago’s worsening pension crisis, why the city’s crisis makes it such an outlier nationally, its negative impact on residents, government workers and retirees alike, and what Mayor Brandon Johnson should do about it.
When has any company persisted with a project in the face of stronger local, statewide and national opposition? When have taxpayers subsidized a more harebrained project?