Local governments should structure themselves in a way that best meets the needs of their budget, taxpayers and public employees. And the state should give them the power to do so.
Missing from the discussion on state revenues is what happened with all the money from Illinois’ last major tax hike.
Unfunded pension debt for police and fire pension funds in Wilmette has increased by 16 percent since 2009.
Rife with problems, it’s ripe for change.
The plaintiffs in the SB 1 case are asking the court to do something extraordinary: to hold, in effect, that pension benefits should receive stronger protection than any other type of constitutional right.
Since 2009, taxpayer contributions to police and fire pensions in Springfield have increased by 44 percent.
Morton Grove's police pension fund has just 54 cents of every dollar it needs in the bank today to meet future pension payments.
Whether they realize it or not, taxpayers in Arlington Heights have a lot of experience with the impact of rising pension costs.
One in 10 workers in the private, for-profit sector are union members in Illinois – 1 in 12 in the nonprofit sector. But more than half of Illinois’ government workers belong to a union.
The Badger State is now even more alluring for Illinois workers and businesses.
An unhealthy business climate and the forced-union status quo in states like Illinois does not serve the well-being of rank-and-file union members.