Audio: Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon says Chicago pension buyout plan mostly shifts debt rather than eliminating it, property tax surge doubles inflation over three decades – Chicago’s Morning Answer
April 3, 2026
9 Comments
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.
Illinois lost another 54,000 tax filers and dependents, net, according to the IRS. Since 2000, fleeing taxpayers have taken $94 billion of annual adjusted gross income with them.
Fire Base Lori. She won’t feel safe until All of CPD is guarding her home. It bothers me Chicago Values are inadequate to prevent a mob from descending on her home. Chicago Values = BRK Beat Rob and Kill.
No amount of “beat-policing” in Chicago’s POC bad neighborhoods will stop the gang-related shootings and pervasive domestic violence. Without genuine consequences, meaning actual arrest and booking, actual detention in jail and court convictions with prison-time, and actual cash-fine consequences, Chicago’s crime-wave will continue unfettered. We all know that those few shoplifters from 2020’s two looting sprees, if caught, if actually arrested, suffered little more than several hours of inconvenience, no fines, no convictions, no prison time, even if already on probation or on bail for more significant crimes. Lightfoot, Preckwinkle, Foxx, and the Cook County Courts are aggressively robbing citizens… Read more »
“Our politicians need to comprehend that the Chicago tax base is rapidly eroding, even while local taxes and fees continue to climb, causing many Chicagoans and Cook County residents to think seriously about selling their homes and moving elsewhere, either to next county, or out-of-state altogether.” This is true but the establishment will deny this to the very end. They’re forcing everyone to return downtown or lose their job…. My half vacant suburban office filled up pretty quickly in the last few months, lots of build outs going on, renovating all the bathrooms and the lobby…. I’ve abandoned by Chicago… Read more »
Here is a three part wild and crazy idea to stop the violence. I don’t know if it has ever been tried before but here goes. 1.Catch the criminals. 2.Convict the criminals. 3.Keep the criminals in prison until their sentence is completed. It seems to me that this might work. I don’t know why anyone in the history of chicago has never thought of this before.
Great idea! Maybe if you call it “reimagining public safety”, the political leaders would be willing to try it.
Glad I do not reside in Chicago, Illinois is bad enough for now
Lori,
Got news for you Lock up and keep them locked up that CPD catches everyday.
CPD could turn this around in a few days turn them loose!
“Last week, David Brown quietly transferred 59 officers into the Chicago Police Department’s Detached Services unit. The unit is called “detached” because it does not handle traditional functions of policing such as responding to calls for service or investigating crime. The special assignment for this group? Guarding the Mayor’s house. Add the dozens of officers Ms. Lightfoot already has on her bodyguard detail and the total armed security team for Chicago’s mayor is much larger than the entire police department of the City of Kankakee.” https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/lori-lightfoot-and-david-brown-proudly-announce-chicagos-summer-of-anarchy
if this is such a great idea why wasn`t in place long before now
Remember, getting results is not the objective. Only symbolism is needed by the left.
Why not just lock up or exile all light-complected humans, you know, those systemic racists that are the root of all ills? Then Chicago could become a perfect socialist utopia.
It would be as wonderful as Johannesburg…
How about a study by a select blue ribbon committee. Maybe a dog and pony show at the local community center. Invite local community leaders, like Dulcimer who owns the corner by the community center. Maybe I’m an old crank, but I miss ‘The Reign of Thieves”. Under Richie and Rahm your chances of being run over by a fleeing car thieve were relatively small. Today being out in public in Chicago is a risk for everyone. Criminals don’t care and it’s glaringly obvious. Eh? Lori
Good luck with the “teaming up with community groups and libraries” mentoring strategy. I am sure the gangbangers will eagerly participate!
The woke are beyond stupid.
It’s midnight basketball redux. Because late night hoops is more exciting than cannabis, women & guns.
Attempting to buy off bad behavior with more freebies, programs, and especially free money to her political allies for fake violence interruption waste of money.