Mark joined Dan and Amy to talk about the new data showing that Illinoisans are paying the nation’s highest property taxes, why the math in Illinois will eventually fail, what the market turmoil means for Chicago’s near-broke pension funds, the fact that Illinois is a jobs and economic failure, and more.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- ‘Record’ number of Illinois jobs: Don’t be a chump.
- Illinois metro areas take the top four spots for nation’s highest property taxes. Rockford takes the crown.
- Illinois lawmakers ignore where the real transit savings are
- More than $1 billion in market losses is a reminder of how close Chicago pensions are to the brink
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
This is simply Russian propaganda. Illinois is thriving.
The wife and I left three years ago and are far better off for it. Winters at our condo in Hawaii and summers at our vacation home in the south of France. Life is good, and so long Illinois!
Oh look, another rich guy who thinks he has all the answers. Hawaii? France? Come on pal, most of us will be lucky to settle for Hammond.
My thoughts exactly. Maybe Steve up there can tell us how to save money by getting a BMW instead of a Mercedes while he’s at it.
Define “Break”. California, New York continue to sink but the DEMS still continue and the misery just goes on.
Some of the highest taxes in the country and not the change of a nickel. Public sector unions are living fat on the hog while private sector workers and companies are leaving for other states. This will not end well.
Not to be -too- much of a NY bitch, but… why do you expect change will be demanded? As opposed to just defeatism? What, exactly, indicates actions on the part of Illinoisians other than to leave? New Yorkers, at least, have demanded services for $$. And our pension funds are not in such a parlous state, as we’ve not deliberately allowed the hideous practices in terms of funding & benefit promises y’all have. The reason I enjoy beating up on Illinois and Chicago is that I do fully expect the disaster, and while Chicago itself has beautiful architecture and I’ve… Read more »
Mary Pat, there have been many points over the past decades that I would have exploded about New Yorkers criticizing Chicago, but you are right on to say that, today, nothing indicates actions on the part of Illinoisans other than to leave. It’s especially true in Chicago, particularly with our “civic leaders.” The “City of Big Shoulders” is now a city of pussies.
The greed of the public employee unions and the corruption of all three branches of government at state and local levels calls forth schadenfreude at every setback. Even as my own 401(k) takes a hit I find consolation in the thought (hope?) that teachers and administrators will get hosed! Educators who read Wirepoints must be emotionally sturdy if they’re not paranoid.
Jerry, I hope you understand that drops in asset values to pensions are the taxpayers’ problem, not pensioners. The more underfunded they are the larger the taxpayer contribution to them must be. Pensioners have no skin in the game.
Granted. However, I think the ultimate solution is bankruptcy and pension haircuts. The “regime” will continue to oppose that trajectory, of course. It was almost blocked in Detroit. However every monthly check depletes the fund and depletion is faster in a down market. Taxpayers are getting tapped out and property taxes will lead to more abandoned property, a la Detroit. Not that Detroit is “back” by any means. But offloading the pension albatross might change Chicago’s fortunes like the cow-caused conflagration of yore. Livable pensions can be sustained if pensions are capped as with PBGC and Social Security if the… Read more »
Very few educators are readers…other than romance novels.
That’s because they have limited vision. They think there will be money to pay their pensions during their early retirement, chasing golf balls on sodden salty fairways. Still, that might be better than teaching in Chicago.
Jerry, those public employees you hate so much happen to be the cops and firefighters who keep you and me safe. Maybe go down to the nearest precinct and tell some of your town’s officers how happy you are that their pensions are in the tank, and let us know how that conversation goes.
The comment was aimed at CTU and teachers in failing urban schools. Cops are Tops.
Much more pain before things change, if they ever change. The numbers do not even come close to adding up, even if you took math in a CPS. What is likely to happen is services will be cut back even more, and taxes will go much higher for years to come. If you want change you will have to move to another state. Illinois has been destroyed by the public sector.
I know that pothole. The size is 57,988 square miles . The nickname is Illinois.
Left almost three years ago for tax purposes