Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

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.

Chicago Public Schools pulls bond sale

By Ted Dabrowski

01/28/2016

Chicago Public Schools’ postponement of its $875 million bond sale indicates investors’ concerns over the financial state of the district.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, criminal justice reform

Déjà vu: Illinois has billions in unpaid bills, Madigan calls for another tax hike

By Hilary Gowins

01/27/2016

Without fundamental reforms, the tax hike state Democrats want to impose will only drive Illinois further into decline.

TAGS: Mike Madigan, taxes, unpaid bills

Bankruptcy talk hits Chicago: Illinois governor proposes bankruptcy for Chicago Public Schools

01/22/2016

Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republican state lawmakers have proposed bankruptcy for Chicago Public Schools; Mayor Rahm Emanuel has rejected the idea of bankruptcy, repeating his demand that Illinois taxpayers bail out the struggling school district.

TAGS: bankruptcy, Chicago

Illinois to issue $500M in bonds, continues to pay highest borrowing rate of all 50 states

By Ted Dabrowski

01/09/2016

Illinois’ monthslong budget gridlock, $111 billion in government-worker pension debt, and more than a decade of unbalanced budgets have resulted in credit downgrades for Illinois and the highest borrowing costs of any state in the nation.

TAGS: budget