Illinois resorted to POBs because pension costs were quickly increasing. But instead of reforming the system, political leaders chose to paper over the problem with debt.
The state’s 2016 pension cost is projected to increase to nearly $8 billion – or 25 cents of every dollar the state spends during the next budget year.
The unpredictable and expensive nature of defined-benefit pension plans is why companies like Barnes & Noble Inc. and Allegheny Technologies recently chose to abandon traditional pension plans in favor of 401(k)-style plans.
The “gift room” scandal, a botched police raid and a smokestack implosion underscore how the head of Chicago’s Law Department, also known as the corporation counsel, too often lacks independence from the mayor’s office. Chicago’s corporation counsel is appointed by the mayor and can be removed at the mayor’s discretion. Experience in other major cities...