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Chicago firefighters and paramedics have been waiting four years for a new contract. Pay raises in the six-year agreement — up to 20% depending on the rate of inflation — are identical to those awarded to Chicago police officers in the contract that Johnson extended and sweetened.
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Audio and summary Why the Holdup Using Artificial Intelligence to Cut Illinois Government Costs? – Wirepoints
May 19, 2026
10 Comments
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Note to readers from Mark Glennon re: Ukraine
May 6, 2026
4 Comments
Everybody needs a side hustle these days, and mine is Ukraine, where I am now.
Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer – Chicago’s struggling commercial real estate and more
April 22, 2026
5 Comments
Summary and audio linked here.
Over a typical 30-day month:
With overtime, specialty pay, and seniority, total compensation can reach $100,000+, and in some cases as high as $120,000–$130,000, per official records.
30-Year Career, Retire at 55–Life expectancy for a 55-year-old male in the U.S.: about 26 more years (to age 81)
With 3% annual COLA, total payouts over that period could easily exceed $3.7 – $4.0 million.
Can anyone name ONE “concession” Brando has won for taxpayers in all the city union contracts awarded under his administration form CTU, to FOP, to Local 2, etc. (The FOP contract he “negotiated” astoundingly he offered them more than they where asking for!) And outside of a few low level CPS SEIU employees getting temporarily laid off from CPS, will even ONE collective bargained city, CPS, CTA employee get laid off from all those hired with now spent one time use ARPA-COVID funds?….ANSWER NO, NO, NO, NO…