Chicago Transit Authority

Each Illinois household on the hook for $56K in government-worker retirement debt

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
03/23/2017
In 2010, the unfunded debt related to pensions and retiree health care costs for local and state government workers across Illinois was $203 billion, the equivalent of more than $43,000 per household. In just six years, the total debt Illinois households are on the hook for has jumped to $56,000, or 31 percent. That’s a $13,000 increase for each household. Total unfunded debt for state and local governments in Illinois now totals $267 billion.

TAGS: GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, JRS: Judges’ Retirement System, pensions, SERS: State Employee Retirement System, SURS: State Universities Retirement System, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

Illinois corruption watch: March 2016

04/04/2016
Several instances of corruption and mismanagement of public property and trust came to light in March and included new developments in cases involving Chicago Public Schools’ former CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

TAGS: corruption

Illinois Corruption Watch: November 2015

12/14/2015
November saw Chicago’s City Council let the term of the legislative inspector general, who is tasked with overseeing City Council, expire without hiring a replacement, as well as several other instances of breach of public trust and influence peddling around the state.

TAGS: corruption

Sprint to add over 1,000 jobs in Chicago

By Amy Korte
09/02/2015
Of the 1,050 new jobs announced, Sprint expects about half to be retail positions and the other half to be filled by wireless experts, network technicians and engineers.

Corruption Watch: April 2015

By Shawn Tonge
05/08/2015
April saw two major players in Illinois education ensnared in charges of cronyism, among more than 60 other corruption-related stories.

TAGS: good government