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Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich had a “f——— golden” opportunity to fill a U.S. Senate seat. Ex-City Treasurer Miriam Santos had potential political donors whom she argued should “belly up” with campaign contributions. And now, former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan allegedly had a host of cronies who “made out like bandits.” Former Ald. Dick Simpson said quotes such as those — among many others throughout state history — reveal a widespread “contempt for the voters in the Democratic process.”
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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