Category Archives: Illinois Budget

Cost Shifting is Buck Passing By Another Name

Governor Rauner certainly got everyone’s attention last week when he proposed that the employer’s share of pension costs be shifted from the State to local school districts. . The pension shift has been a topic of conversation for some time. … Continue reading

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So What? It’s Not My Money.

“A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.” –  Everett Dirsken When you’re as broke as we are here in Illinois, you don’t have that much margin for error. That’s what leads us to … Continue reading

Posted in Cost of Government, Illinois Budget | 2 Comments

Sometimes You Have To Hold Your Nose And Vote “Yes”

On Monday, the House finally passed an education funding bill. The last time the legislature passed a funding bill was in 1997, and in those 20 years, the formula has been changed to the point where the original was barely … Continue reading

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OK, Mr. Speaker, the Ball’s in Your Court.

The Governor has issued an amendatory veto to Senate Bill 1, and the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments has begun. Chicago Mayor Emmanuel, who’s staring into an abyss not completely of his own making but which is now … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Illinois Budget, Property Taxes, Public Pensions | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

If Not SB 1, Then What?

As I said in my previous post, my problem with SB 1 is the fact that it provides for funding of the Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) normal pension cost within the framework of a bill that’s supposed to focus on … Continue reading

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