-- 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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You reap what you sow Governor…….. As I have stated previously your Democrat Party has become the Government Workers Party, and it’s a very dangerous development. Sadly my City of Palos Heights has crossed the Rubicon and joined you. It now has more public sector workers that private. My City voted for your fair tax proposal. God Help us. You screw the private sector (who pay your wages btw) and then expect, no demand your special interests, unions and public sector workers are bailed out by me. You are whistling pass the graveyard sir. Your COVID lock-downs decimated private sector… Read more »
If your budget is 3.3 billion short, why is cutting a measly 700 million so painful? Seems like JB should be sighing in relief that he can get away with only one fifth of the cut basic math is dictating.
Because its just for show. This fat f*ck was born with 20 silver spoons in his mouth and never had to do a day of work in his life. He is the embodiment of 21st century aristocracy.
Dear Gov Pritzker,
You have spent a lot of time talking about fairness, and shared sacrifice this year. Due to the pandemic, many people in the private sector this year have taken significant pay cuts (10%-20%), benefit reductions, furloughs, and layoffs. Small private businesses have significantly been impacted, with many unable to stay open at all. And yet, you refuse to ask public employees to share in the sacrifice – how come? Yet you want to raise taxes again!!! Please stop the dishonesty Gov Pritzker!
Shared sacrifice? Does he mean like how his wife and daughter flew out of State to escape his burdensome lockdown orders?
Jabba The Governor is so used to being dictator he’s has forgotten the legislature exists and that it was the DemocRAT-controlled legislature that overrode Rauner’s vetoes.
Again, where is the Supreme Court or any court. The country deserves a coup from Trump, the institutions are a total joke at this point and actively GO AGAINST the people.
Ha ha ha. The court(s) became a farce when it allowed infringement on #2 and an unbalanced budget. A balanced budget is a simple concept yet the court F’ed it up. Ask yourself, where would the state be today if we had real courts with the balls to respect the constitution. RIP America
What a hoot! The current budget included $590 million in “back-pay” and automatic raises for public union employees alone. First thing Pritzker did right out of the gate was gift SEIU and AFSCME with the difference between what the predatory guvmn’t employee unions wanted in their contract “negotiations” with Rauner, and what they were actually being paid at the time. $700 million of “painful” cuts is, what, just a third of the amount that Pritzker increased the budget by over the previous $7 billion-in-unpaid-bills “balanced” budget? And, of course, we’re still waiting for Pritzker’s other smelly shoe – tax increases… Read more »
“…begin paying down the bills that my predecessor left behind.” Which one? The unpaid backlog of bills goes back through Rauner, Quinn and Blagojevich. It was so bad they had to hike the income tax twice (temporarily, but not temporarily of course), and neither did anything to dent that backlog. And if he’s talking about the underfunded pensions, that goes from him, to Rauner, to Quinn, to Blago, to Ryan, to Edgar. Illinois has been a financial mess way longer than just the four years of Rauner. And while he was an awful do nothing Governor, he is definitely not… Read more »
Memories of the good old “Edgar ramp.” To think he now teaches our younger citizens and thankfully not a math class. Pesky things like basic mathematics sort of defuses the reality of that ramp he provided us with.
Businesses are closing each and every day because of lockdown rules forcing the owners to stay home and unopen. So now the Governor proposes to furlough State employees who are sitting home like the business owners but are still collecting a paycheck. That alone should show Pritzker still isn’t taking the problem of overspending seriously and as far as those grants go why not cut them out totally? They just amount to more unnecessary spending. We can see the Governor is not serious to this day and his comments about his so called “fair tax defeat” is indicative of a… Read more »
Revenue = max spending (including pensions)
These are not cuts, these are a few budget items rounded down instead of up
So JB did his best to find some cuts. Even with these “painful” cuts it unfortunately wasn’t enough. Oh well, I guess the state will need to raise taxes after all. Who would have thought?
He no where at all did his best. You are an idiot.
He was being sarcastic.
Is this list a joke? Painful? Geez, you cant buy new cars? No more out of state travel? Cant fill empty payroll spots? Oh, the pain! Have any of you bureaucrats looked at what is going on in the private sector? And why has no one ever asked the Gov about the 300 plus toll collectors still on the payroll at the Tollway who haven’t collected a coin since late March. What are they all doing, other than laughing their fannies off while protected by their union contracts? Collecting tolls from home?
Millions lost on the tollway unless honest travelers pay online or over the phone for an additional $2.00 service fee. Yeah, that’s gonna happen. Wisconsin is totally rebuilding and widening I90/from the state line, Beloit, to Madison and not a toll booth anywhere. Free there, pay here.
True. They are building like crazy in Beloit. The Amazon warehouse and soon the $400M casino complex plus many others. Sales tax there is 5.5% so it’s probably good sense to buy larger ticket items for those close to the border. I think the Rockford casino sign is gone or the wind took it down at the old Clock Tower.
What irks me the most the Republican candidate for mayor in Rockford was tossed out due to some minor paperwork issues. Now the Dem mayor is running unopposed.
Plus most of Beloit bars and restaurants are open. 10 minute drive for us so guess where we are spending $$$$. Went to Shopiere for the fish fry last week and about half the cars in the lot were from Illinois spending their cash in Wi.
Thanks. I’m in the mood for fish now. When and if we ever open try
Checkers ll (that’s a 2) in downtown Union,Il. One of the best fish I’ve had. Schnitzel is fantastic. He used to own Deeter’s in Woodstock.
Thanks for the tip, hopefully will try it out SOON! Hazel’s in Hebron for breakfast or lunch, another hidden gem.
I’m disappointed. These cuts just aren’t deep enough. Dig much deeper, much much deeper.
Painful my ass