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Quinn On Budget: Medicaid Is On Brink Of Collapse
Updated 02/22/12 – 7 p.m. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — In presenting his 2012 budget plan Wednesday, Gov. Pat Quinn said the state’s Medicaid is on the brink of collapse. Quinn also said the state cannot...
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Illinois House Approves Austere Spending Limits
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Virtually all parts of state government would be forced to cut spending under a budget outline approved by the Illinois House. The measure requires cutting Medicaid by $2.7...
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Big Raises Mean Big Pension Penalties At Suburban Schools
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (CBS) — Suburban school districts are pushing back hard against a 2005 state law that was meant to rein in Illinois’ skyrocketing pension costs. As WBBM Newsradio’s David Roe reports,...
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Rutherford: Tough Road Ahead For Quinn’s Pension Plan
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Now that the governor has finally unveiled a plan to tackle the state’s pension crisis, one top Republican is predicting a tough road ahead. As WBBM Newsradio’s Nancy Harty...
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State Senate Panel Shoots Down Bill Aimed At Pension Reform
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Illinois officials have been emphasizing for months that changes must be made to the state pension system to deal with myriad financial problems, but sometimes, reform is...
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State Lawmakers Fail To Pass Pension Reform Before Deadline
UPDATED 06/01/12 12:52 p.m. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Gov. Pat Quinn is promising not to give up the fight for pension reform, after lawmakers failed to get a bill passed before the deadline of...
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Opinion: A Doctor’s Opinion Of Obamacare
Last evening as I was just about to watch the local fireworks in our Chicago-area community, I ended up talking to two pro-Obamacare persons. As I recall, I didn’t bring up the topic. The pro...
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Illinois’ Poor Credit Rating Lowered Again
Updated 08/29/12 – 6:21 p.m. CHICAGO (CBS) – Illinois, which already has one of the worst-in-the-nation credit ratings, was lowered even further on Wednesday by the Standard & Poor’s rating agency,...
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Gov. Quinn’s Pension Monster, ‘Squeezy The Python,’ Derided As Lame
Updated 11/19/2012 at 5:15 p.m. CHICAGO (CBS) – Where’s the love for Gov. Pat Quinn’s pension reform push featuring — wait for it — “Squeezy the Pension Python”? The governor’s web-based social media...
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Khan Academy Founder Explains Illinois Pension Crisis
Salman Kahn explains Illinois’ pension mess. (Credit: thisismyillinois.com) CHICAGO (CBS) — Governor Pat Quinn has enlisted the creator of popular on-line videos to help explain the state’s pension...
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State Sen. Wants Casino Revenue To Go To Police, Fire Pensions
play pause State Sen. Wants Casino Revenue To Go To Police, Fire Pensions WBBM Newsradio's Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — It’s not too early for people to start making plans for the money that...
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Report: Reinsdorf Opposes Plan To Eliminate Pensions
(CBS) White Sox Owner Jerry Reinsdorf is opposing a plan by MLB owners to eliminate pensions for all non-uniformed personnel, according to a report by ESPN. The proposal to eliminate the pensions will...
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Quinn To Meet With Madigan, Cullerton On Monday
CHICAGO (CBS) — Governor Quinn has finally connected with House Speaker Mike Madigan to discuss pensions and WBBM’s Bob Roberts reports that he’s hoping for more progress next week. play pause Quinn To...
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Ill. Legislature Agrees To Form Committee To Solve Pension Crisis
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — The pension debt stands at $100 billion, costing taxpayers $17 million a day. CBS 2′s Chief Correspondent Jay Levine takes a look at what the 10 member conference committee...
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Fired As Chicago Cops — And Collecting City Pensions
CHICAGO (STMW) – Chicago Police Sgt. Nicholas M. Ortega stood to lose everything — his job, his freedom, his pension. Ortega was in uniform on duty in March 2005 when he met up with a group of cops at...
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Bill Daley Calls For Campaign Donation Ban During Legislative Sessions
(CBS) — A Democratic hopeful in the governor’s race says money is the root of a lot of evil, at least in the eyes of the electorate, reports WBBM’s John Cody. play pause State Trooper Honored WBBM...
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Quinn Bars Benefits To Ex-Transit Board Members
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation that prevents transit board members from receiving taxpayer-funded health care and pension benefits after they leave the boards. A sponsor...
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Quinn Says Pension Panel’s Framework Is ‘Positive’
CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. Pat Quinn says the outline of a pension reform proposal from a bipartisan panel is “positive indeed.” However, the Chicago Democrat was less clear about whether he’s fully behind it...
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Quinn: No Tax Break For ADM Until Pension Deal
CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. Pat Quinn said he will veto any legislation with special tax incentives to get Archer Daniels Midland Company to keep its global headquarters in Illinois until legislators approve a...
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Chicago Labor Unions Form Coalition To Protect Pensions
CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago labor unions just announced a new coalition, We Are One Chicago, designed to defend the pensions of city employees and retirees, reports WBBM’s Kimberly Easton. “We Are One...
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Budget Watchdog Has Plan To Fix State Finances
CHICAGO (CBS) – More than three weeks ahead of the governor’s budget address, a government watchdog group has issued its own plan for bringing state finances back to good health. WBBM Newsradio’s...
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Emanuel Working To Get Reluctant State Legislators To Pass Pension Deal
CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he’s working hard to get state lawmakers to approve the pension deal that seems to have stalled in Springfield last week. WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore...
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CTU Head Karen Lewis Calls For Tax On Stock, Futures Transactions To Pay...
CHICAGO (CBS) – The head of the Chicago Teachers Union is touting a tax on stock trades and other transactions to help close a pension gap without cutting benefits for retired teachers. WBBM Political...
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CPS Retirees Pick Up Pension Checks After Delay
(CBS) — CPS retirees hit the line early Saturday morning to pick up their pension checks. The Chicago Teachers Pension Fund issued about 100 checks Saturday after August payments did not go through on...
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2 Investigators, BGA: ‘Prince Of Pensions’ On Rauner Transition Team
(CBS) — Bruce Rauner campaigned on the promise of government reform and fixing Illinois’ pension system, saying in one campaign commercial, “Springfield is broken, $8,000 of public pension debt for...
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Conservative Watchdog Group Says 14 Lake County Retirees Collecting $200K+...
(CBS) — Taxpayers United says over 14 Lake County retirees are collecting pensions over $200,000 as the tax watch it continues combing through Illinois county retirement records for potential tax...
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Illinois Gov. Rauner: Bankruptcy May Be Option For Broke Cities
http://media.chicago.cbslocal.com/CBSCHI_20150413193803913AA.mp4 (CBS) — Gov. Bruce Rauner didn’t rule out the possibility of some cash-strapped Illinois cities filing for bankruptcy, as he renewed a...
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Mayor Emanuel Reveals Plans For Tackling City’s Debt
http://media.chicago.cbslocal.com/CBSCHI_20150429184622807AA.mp4 CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced some strong steps to confront the city’s crushing bond debt, reports WBBM Political Editor...
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Emanuel: Dual Taxation For Pensions ‘Wrong’
http://media.chicago.cbslocal.com/CBSCHI_20150506181316670AA.mp4 CHICAGO (CBS) — The Chicago Teachers Union is incensed over the city’s demand that teachers accept a seven percent pay cut, but Mayor...
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2 Investigators, BGA: Pension-Collecting Cops Rehired By City One Day After...
http://media.chicago.cbslocal.com/CBSCHI_20150512231521590AA.mp4 (CBS) — They retire as Chicago police officers and get rehired by the city, doubling up on two taxpayer subsidized paychecks, one for a...
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Critics Want Law Changed To Reduce Pension Boosts For Retiring Teachers
CHICAGO (CBS) — Citizen advocates have called for changes in a state law allowing local school boards to use big pay raises to boost the pensions of retiring teachers. The Chicago Tribune has reported...
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With Payment To Teachers’ Pension Fund Looming, Emanuel Calls On Springfield...
CHICAGO (CBS) — With a major payment deadline just over a week away, Mayor Rahm Emanuel says Springfield has to help Chicago work out its public school budget problems, reports WBBM’s Steve Miller....
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Mayor Emanuel Refuses To Discuss Alternatives If State Supreme Court Shoots...
(CBS) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel is refusing to discuss alternate plans if the city’s pension agreement continues to be shot down by the courts, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore. What happens if...
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Illinois Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Chicago Pension Case
(CBS) — The Illinois Supreme Court has heard arguments in the Emanuel administration’s attempt to save its pension deal with some city employee unions, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore....
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2 Investigators: How The CPS Pensions Turned Into A Budget Mess
(CBS) — As the school system faces a major budget crisis, some Chicago teachers are getting six-figure pensions. CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman traced the origin of those pensions back to mistakes in...
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Opinion: Illinois Sinks Into The Abyss, Politicians Abandon Ship And The...
The views expressed on this page are those of the author, not CBS Local Chicago or our affiliated television and radio stations. by Mason Johnson A University of Illinois student walks across the quad....
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Mayor Emanuel Doubts Governor Rauner’s CPS Pension Relief Proposal
CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Emanuel is expressing doubts about Governor Rauner’s latest proposal for pension relief for the Chicago Public Schools. State Education Secretary Beth Purvis said a...
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Gov. Rauner Vetoes Bill To Overhaul Chicago Employee Pension Program
CHICAGO (CBS) — Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a pension bill Mayor Rahm Emanuel said is very important to the city and its workers. WBBM’s Craig Dellimore reports. The Illinois Governor vetoed help for...
View ArticleChicago’s Mayor Unveils His Eighth And Final Budget
CHICAGO (CBS) — Outgoing Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced his eighth and final budget on Wednesday. Coming in at 10.6 billion dollars, the spending plan will be remembered for what isn’t in it....
View ArticleEmanuel’s Plan To Fund Pensions: Amending The State Constitution
CHICAGO (CBS) — In the next few years, Chicago will need almost a billion dollars more to pay for city pensions and one plan involves changing the state constitution. In a major speech before the...
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