Chicago pension decision silver linings

03/24/2016

Despite striking down a pension-reform package aimed at reducing Chicago’s pension debt, the Illinois Supreme Court opened the door for future legislative reforms.

Illinois Supreme Court strikes down Chicago pension reform but opens door for other changes

03/24/2016

While striking down modest reforms to Chicago city-worker pensions, the Illinois Supreme Court has effectively given state lawmakers the green light on other avenues for pension reform.

TAGS: Chicago, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education, Karen Lewis, pensions

Rauner: Madigan not ‘doing his job’

By Mark Fitton

03/09/2016

More than two-thirds of fiscal year 2016 has passed with the state lacking an overall budget.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, Mike Madigan

Caterpillar CEO’s warnings 4 years later: Illinois on downward slide as predicted

By Michael Lucci

02/15/2016

Illinois politicians ignored Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman’s 2012 plea for pro-growth reforms, and Illinois is the only state in the region to have lost manufacturing jobs on net over the last four years.

TAGS: manufacturing, unemployment

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.

IEA, IFT, SEIU executives supported skipping pension payments

By Amy Korte

02/01/2016

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.

TAGS: pensions

To fix education funding, Cullerton should focus on reforming pensions

By Ted Dabrowski

01/26/2016

From 2009 to 2014, the state added $8.9 billion in new tax dollars to the education budget, over and above the base amount of $6.8 billion it spent in 2009. Of those new dollars spent, 89 percent went to retirement costs and just 11 percent made it to classrooms.

TAGS: John Cullerton

Pensions vs. schools

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

01/26/2016

Since 2009, 89 cents of every new dollar for education goes to teacher pensions

The $53 million boogeyman: Illinois’ financial woes due to decades of mismanagement, not 7 months of gridlock

By Mark Adams

01/22/2016

Illinois paid $53 million more to borrow money through its Jan. 14 bond sale than it would have paid had politicians not let the state’s debt and government-worker pension obligations spiral out of control, while driving out taxpaying residents and businesses through tax hikes and costly regulations.

TAGS: credit rating

Rauner making moves on pension reform

By Ted Dabrowski

01/21/2016

On Jan. 21 Gov. Bruce Rauner reignited reform talks surrounding Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation pension crisis.

TAGS: pensions

Supreme Court of Illinois

Chicago pension decision silver linings

Illinois Supreme Court strikes down Chicago pension reform but opens door for other changes

Rauner: Madigan not ‘doing his job’

Caterpillar CEO’s warnings 4 years later: Illinois on downward slide as predicted

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

IEA, IFT, SEIU executives supported skipping pension payments

To fix education funding, Cullerton should focus on reforming pensions

Pensions vs. schools

The $53 million boogeyman: Illinois’ financial woes due to decades of mismanagement, not 7 months of gridlock

Rauner making moves on pension reform

Who Lives Below the Poverty Line in Illinois? Family Structure and Education Mark the Highest Risk

Report Archive

Take advantage of the various ways to vote

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students