In for Big John and Ramblin’ Ray is Lauren Kohn and John Kass, they talk with Bill Cameron, from Connected to Chicago, about Mayor Emanuel and the chances of running for office again, plus Chicago’s pensions and taxes. As well as talking about his guest this weekend where they’ll be talking about CPS Schools.
Listen to Bill Cameron on Connected to Chicago, Sunday nights at 7 pm.
By Bill Cameron, John Dempsey and Jen DeSalvo, WLS-AM News
(CHICAGO) It started the beginning of the year when the Illinois State Supreme Court struck down a state law that tried to cut benefits for some Chicago city workers.
… MORE
(CHICAGO) When Illinois voters head to the polls in November, the first ballot question won’t be for presidential candidates, but a measure aimed at protecting the state’s transportation-related funding from being used for other purposes.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to prevent money generated through tolls, taxes and other transportation-related sources from being spent elsewhere. It’s the only lawmaker-generated ballot measure and was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Backers include unions and the construction industry. They claim the so-called “lockbox amendment” will protect Illinois’ infrastructure and economy by ensuring money is used for road and bridge repair work and transportation jobs. They launched an ad campaign Tuesday.
To succeed, the measure needs either 60 percent of those voting on the measure or a majority of those voting in the election.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
It turns out CTA board members — all of them political appointees who worked only part time — each came away with five-figure pensions that have cost the public transit agency a total of more than $3 million over 10 years. In 2014, the most recent year for which records were available, the CTA paid $330,000 into its board pension fund and doled out $329,744 in pension payments to 19 board retirees or their survivors. Chicago Sun-Times Investigative Reporter Chris Fusco joined John to talk about his expose on pensions.
(Chicago) Mayor Rahm Emanuel is being sued over pension changes.
Four labor unions representing current and retired white collar city workers, teachers, nurses & teamsters claim Rahm’s remedy is unconstitutional.
That’s because it cuts benefits and the state constitution says he can’t do that.
But Rahm argues it is constitutional and vital to saving their pensions. A couple of years ago he was confident enough about it that he said, “People are not happy with the status quo and they’re not too excited about change either. So ya got ‘em right where you want ‘em! (laughter).”
Nobody’s laughing now though as this case and another like it for state workers are vulnerable in court.
Bill Cameron, 89 WLS News
Curious how the Illinois General Assembly voted on the city pension plan? Take a look at the Roll Call:
House
http://ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/98/house/09800SB1922_04082014_010000T.pdf
Senate
http://ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/98/senate/09800SB1922_04082014_028001C.pdf
