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They mayor hopes the increased budget will be used to recruit officers from across the country, and to “mine opportunities” in the city of Chicago itself as part of an effort to bolster the department’s ranks. The mayor said that the budget will also include funding for programs designed to help officers with their mental and physical well-being.
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Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago pension buyout plan mostly shifts debt rather than eliminating it, property tax surge doubles inflation over three decades
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.
WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times falsely blame Texas Gov. Abbott for 2020 to 2024 surge in Chicago Latino HIV, AIDS infections – Wirepoints Quickpoint
March 31, 2026
11 Comments
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
With Discussion Beginning About Pension Buyout Program For Chicago, Beware of Baloney – Wirepoints
March 28, 2026
17 Comments
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.
Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago’s Fiscal Crisis Has Passed the Point of No Return, Bond Market Already Signaling Collapse
March 25, 2026
24 Comments
Full interview and summary linked here.
My nephew was a CPD officer for a few months. He quit, he said it was crazy. He’s now in a police department about 50 miles away from the city. I’m relieved and happy for him. I think before they recruit these kids they should make them do a ride along in Englewood or the West Side so they understand what they are getting in to.
Anyone wanting to join the CPD (or any large blue cities PD) would be either *connected* or insane…
Or woefully uninformed & naive…
It would be like joining the military for the *glamour* of combat…
The little snake raised the budget by $147.50. Yea she raised budget! Bagpipes and popcorn!
Why anyone would want to join the CPD after the behavior of JB, Lori and Lil Kim is beyond me. The men and women of the CPD have targets on their backs.
Few want to join. The recent academy numbers are abysmal. They can’t even replace retiring officers.