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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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One report tallied about 1200 calls-over six years. By the way, answering the phone counts as action being taken. Also revealed was that these people work M-F pretty much 9-5, thus necessitating the need for police intervention a majority of the time anyway. Another social services cash black hole in the fine “ machine “ tradition.
What a surprise. Yet another “program” that costs millions…and nothing done, no work, high pay and more pension costs. Excellent work mayor Pinhead – your plan is working perfectly.
bad reporting:
—No info given on programs total budget?, # of workers?, etc?
—What are qualifications of metal health crisis response workers are they–fully licensed psychologists or psychiatrists? or some guys that got their substance abuse counseling certificate at city colleges? or less?
—Are workers city employees or covered by any collective bargaining agreement?
—What services does this program provide that CPD doesn’t already provide?
Ditto questions for cities reopened community mental health centers
Here’s more bad reporting on CTU/Brandons response to whistle blower allegations CARES-mental health response program: –“the CARE program has helped more than 1,000 people since it began.” it was started in 2021 —what does ‘helped” mean? they answered 1,000 phone calls, talked to a couple folks in homeless camps since 2021? Or what? —Chicago CARES program was modeled after Portland OR program which has been are disbanded You can be sure, like a zillion other programs, this was a ARPA-COVID funded program that now that the fed funds are gone dopey taxpayers are going to be asked to pick up… Read more »