The problem Illinois is facing a fiscal crisis. The expense of retirement benefits is overwhelming many areas of the state budget. Lawmakers have known of this situation for years, but thus far have not adopted a comprehensive solution. The state faces an $85 billion unfunded liability to its pensions systems. It owes another $45 billion...
Suggested reading for the week of January 2.
This three-part series by the Illinois Policy Institute specifically focuses on the impact rising retirement costs will have on education funding at various levels.
CPS pension costs rising faster than state aid can keep up.
Collin Hitt talks about the Institute's Pensions vs. schools report series.
The problem Illinois is facing a fiscal crisis. The expense of retirement benefits is overwhelming many areas of the state budget. Lawmakers have known of this situation for years, but thus far have not adopted a comprehensive solution. The state faces an $85 billion unfunded liability to its pensions systems. It owes another $45 billion...
A fresh start with the right priorities.
The Institute's Pensions vs. schools: Higher education report was featured in Crain's Chicago Business.
The problem Illinois is facing a fiscal crisis. The expense of retirement benefits is overwhelming many areas of the state budget. Lawmakers have known of this situation for years, but thus far have not adopted a comprehensive solution. The state faces an $85 billion unfunded liability to its pensions systems. It owes another $45 billion...
Gov. Quinn and the unions are still bickering over money for state raises, but the contract had called for two raises at the start of 2012.
by Kristina Rasmussen Jim Lacey provides a much-needed new perspective on Ebenezer Scrooge over at NRO: More than anything else, Scrooge’s investments created jobs. A man with the wealth Dickens implies Scrooge possesses was probably making investments that employed many thousands of workers. History tells us that these “men of business” also reaped most of the rewards....
by Mark Cavers This article, along with other original stories, first appeared in the Institute’s quarterly magazine, the Compass. The Illinois Policy Institute released a report in November exposing how the state was removing salary information from its designated transparency website. We are happy to announce that the state has returned the information to the portal. The state...
by Brian Costin According to the Illinois State Constitution,“In the year following each Federal decennial census year, the General Assembly by law shall redistrict the Legislative Districts and the Representative Districts.” The redistricting process in Illinois has always been a hyper-political process subject to vast criticism, and this year’s redistricting process is no exception. However, the Illinois...
by Kristina Rasmussen Illinois has trouble. Big trouble. Our public pension system is one market crash away from disaster. Our unemployment numbers are over 10 percent. People are hightailing it for greener pastures. You’d think Illinois legislators would focus on turning this state around with bold reforms. Think again. Even as the Illinois General Assembly failed to address the pension crisis,...