-- 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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To hit on a point I made in another thread look at this situation. The individual above could have easily ran, unopposed, in the Republican primary and there would be no issue. In my mind I would think his running in the primary would have gotten his name in the papers, be on sample ballots and some interviews or in other words free publicity that might very well have gotten some voters out for himself. I dislike the way Pritzker et al has handled the slate thing but the solution is for the Republicans to run in the primaries.
I agree that candidates should run in the primary. Hard for Republicans to argue this rule if they really want their voters to choose. With that said, it’s not right that the rules were changed after the primary took place. I’m guessing a judge will see it the same way but it will cost the party to fight it.
Republicans played political games by not wanting to run candidates in the primary and the democrats shot back with a move of their own. That’s politics for you.