Pensions vs. higher education
Pensions vs. higher education
Skyrocketing pensions, bloated administrations are pricing students out of college degrees
Reform commission targets occupational licensing
Reform commission targets occupational licensing
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s criminal-justice reform commission urges removing overbroad occupational licensing restrictions that bar ex-offenders from pursuing work in over 118 professions.
Chicago cops retire to dodge punishment, collect 6-figure pensions
Chicago cops retire to dodge punishment, collect 6-figure pensions
Since Chicago officials received a city watchdog investigation recommending six officers be disciplined for their roles surrounding the killing of David Koschman by a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, three have retired.
Chicago Public Schools sells $725M in bonds with 8.5% interest rate
Chicago Public Schools sells $725M in bonds with 8.5% interest rate
The district’s borrowing does take pressure off of the district’s immediate cash-flow problem. However, it does nothing to solve the CPS’ long-term financial crisis and its structural imbalances – in fact it only makes things worse.
Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis
Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis
The crisis threatens to burden taxpayers with massive, ever-escalating taxes to bail out a system that is not sustainable – government-worker pensions consume a fourth of the state’s budget.
Emanuel promises another Chicago property-tax hike
Emanuel promises another Chicago property-tax hike
Mere months after passing the largest tax hike in modern Chicago history, Mayor Rahm Emanuel vows to hit residents with even higher property-tax bills, this time to bail out pension mismanagement by Chicago Public Schools officials – behavior tacitly endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union.
Steps and lanes: Understanding how Chicago public school teachers get multiple pay raises each year
Steps and lanes: Understanding how Chicago public school teachers get multiple pay raises each year
Chicago teachers’ salaries are based on a complex and convoluted system that has provided teachers with annual pay increases well in excess of the 2.75 to 3 percent raises proposed by the district.
Rauner’s criminal-justice reform commission issues first recommendations
Rauner’s criminal-justice reform commission issues first recommendations
The commission’s 14 policy suggestions aim to safely reduce Illinois’ prison population by 25 percent by 2025.
Math is hard
Math is hard
Why Indiana’s population grows faster than Illinois’
Why Indiana’s population grows faster than Illinois’
Illinois’ weak jobs growth is driving more residents to other states on net than Illinois gains from other states, from natural growth in births or from international immigration.
CPS’ postponed bond sale poses questions for Chicago and Emanuel
CPS’ postponed bond sale poses questions for Chicago and Emanuel
Amid CPS’ postponed $875 million bond sale, Chicagoans should question whether the district can fill its budget hole and whether Emanuel will stand up for Chicago taxpayers or give in to more teachers union demands.
IEA, IFT, SEIU executives supported skipping pension payments
IEA, IFT, SEIU executives supported skipping pension payments
Government-worker union officials filed papers with the Illinois General Assembly in favor of the “pension holiday” that contributed to the state’s $111 billion pension debt.
5 reasons why Chicago can’t afford to get steamrolled by another CTU contract
5 reasons why Chicago can’t afford to get steamrolled by another CTU contract
CPS is broke. To preserve funding for the classroom and Chicago's children, and to keep CPS from going belly up, CPS officials must broker significant concessions from the union.