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"The horrendous damage that’s being done to a generation of children (by closing schools) is incalculable," said Paul Vallas, the CPS Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 2001...Wirepoints recently published an article factually pointing out that children are spared the worst effects of the virus with only 4 of the 7,099 COVID-19 fatalities in Illinois being children under 4. They point out that the CDC reports that only 15 of the linked fatalities nationally have been children under 15 compared to 200 who died from the flu and pneumonia.
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WIREPOINTS ORIGINAL STORIES
Audio and summary Illinois bill would override local law to allow homeless living in all public parks – Wirepoints
April 14, 2026
29 Comments
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.
Mark Glennon on AM560’s Morning Answer: Chicago Fiscal Crisis Worse Than Pre-Bankruptcy Detroit, HIV Surge and Public Health Threat From Open Borders Goes Unreported
April 10, 2026
2 Comments
Summary and audio linked here.
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.
As long as custodians, school nurses, cafeteria workers, teachers, administrators, bus drivers, school psychologists, principles, etc. are getting a paycheck to stay home, the schools will never open, period. Remember these are people who dream of retirement and a fat pension every single day they woke up for work. Now they are all semi-retired with pay, way early. But if you implement across the board unpaid furloughs, the schools will miraculously open overnight. With most jobs showing up and working is actually a requirement to get paid, weird, but it is.
Government Employee Unions should never have been allowed. Big step toward communism there, you’re a party member or you’re not, and if you’re not, tough.
Illinois’ official low-balling of its crisis also extends to the annual cost of pensions. JP Morgan’s Micheal Cembalest estimates the state would need to devote more than 50 percent of its budget to properly pay for its true retirement costs (including retiree health insurance). Illinois is the nation’s outlier; no other state comes close to that amount of their budget.
That’s too vague to have any real meaning. How much time is he giving for what is surely an accelerated payment schedule, probably even above that of actuarial standards each year—a lower level that we don’t even meet as a state? Then, what does “properly pay” even mean? Many would say it means an eventual 100% pre-payment of all know unfounded liabilities. But, that’s also often considered an outlier position as to “proper funding” and that reaching a level of 85-90% most likely is adequate. I’m left to suggest he wants that 100% level of funding and even an acceleration… Read more »
The following URL links to an American Academy of Actuaries Issue Brief dated July 2012 titled, “The 80% Pension Funding Standard Myth.”
http://www.actuary.org/files/80_Percent_Funding_IB_071912.pdf
Yes, I’m aware of that argument and have seen other versions of it. But, politicians generally will never go for full funding of a public employee pension system since they want money for other priorities, too. The goal from their viewpoint is to appease as many interest groups as possible rather making a full commitment to any one of them. That requires governmental spending for a wider range of voters.
It’s more than an argument.
It’s actuaries stating the plans are designed to be 100% funded.
There are public sector pensions that are 100% funded.
But you do make a good point for replacing public sector pensions (defined benefit) with 401K type plans (defined contribution).
The point being is politicians will always be tempted to short the required employer contributions.
Solution?
Remove the temptation.
All of the arguments have been made and at this point it’s just cleaning up the mess one way or another someday.
It’s a failure of government.
“It’s actuaries stating the plans are designed to be 100% funded.” Yes, I agree with that statement, but the follow-through from politicians will forever chink away at it since it’s in their interest to do so. Full funding can be done as a few states have shown, but “can” and “will be” are almost never equal expectations in any aspect of life and all the more so where periodic voting reflects the underlying societal issues of that moment. Thinking otherwise reminds me of all the people who from time to time claim to have built a perpetual motion machine only… Read more »
Not true. He assumes 30 year target. And if your target is less than 100% you are just assuming away part of the problem. Look at his methodology before you dismiss it: https://www.jpmorgan.com/jpmpdf/1320746272624.pdf
The sooner anyone expects literally a complete correction to a public pension funding problem that has been in existence over a 100 years now the less likely it’s going to happen. Taking 30 years to do so is something of a fantasy in comparison when so many other financial priorities continually compete for such resources as well. So, any real solution will take either much longer time or require bankruptcy. People almost always prefer the easy solutions and politicians will forever cater to it. The end result, then, seems to be an inevitable bankruptcy. The voters will wildly cheer that… Read more »
The bankruptcy power is enshrined in the Constitution, too.
That’s absolutely true, and as history sometimes demonstrates ideals, standards and ethics are subject to the pressures of the moment. The only things we can count on are taxes and death. Everything that’s controllable by human efforts is subject to human intervention. What’s solidly true politically in one era may well not be true a generation or true later. The IL Constitution is subject to such purposeful changes and even changing interpretations of what’s meant there from time to time. All we can do is try to go with the flow or become revolutionary enough to direct it to better… Read more »
Actually,Ron White was talking about you.
Serious damage needs to be done to the paychecks and employment and pensions of theteachersand admin and CPS staff
who don’t go back to the classrooms/schools
in August. They have been getting paid for nothing since March or so.
Nature hates a vacuum, but it might be time to fire all of CPS. Top to bottom. Pink slips to everyone. And, simultaneously, open up the positions to rehire. See who really wants to work and who is simply in it to sit as a leech on the system and tax payers of Chi… And hire half of them as they were overstaffed to start…
What a vile individual you are. Were beaten by dad as a child? Molested by an uncle? Or did your self abusing 20 times a day turn your brain into mush? You make some of the most demeaning and senseless posts of anyone on Wirepoints. You are a truly sad and disgusting person. Seek some professional advice from a mental health expert.
I agree with your posting. Having read this blog for several months I have noticed the unsavory comments made by “Poor Taxpayer” over this time period. Demeaning, hateful, vile are the more kinder words I would use. Poor Taxpayer must have a very sad life to post some of his drivel. I agree, it is a disgusting person.
Not a bug, but a feature of totalitarianism. The only way for elites to maintain their stranglehold on power is to eliminate the competition, hence keep schools closed. The last thing they want is for any child to grow into an independent thinker.
it is a case of the dems and control.
thank God I do not have children in the Chicago system