What Are Illinoisans Getting for $55 Billion?—Smoke-Filled Room—Episode 106

Get your favorite snacks and drinks ready for a chaotic next ~36 hours because a lot is going to happen before session ends in the early hours of June 1st. From the budget to transit reform to pensions and more, we analyze the biggest issues coming out of Springfield.

We planned on it just being an episode with Collin Corbett, Michael Butler, and Chris Jackowiak, but with so much happening in Springfield we asked Patrick Pfingsten, who was down in Springfield keeping track of the latest for The Illinoize, to join us.

We start with the latest on the budget. As of the time of our recording, there were no details available on the budget, and more importantly how the Democrats would address their overspending. And the state is going to spend $55 billion of our tax dollars—can we really say we are getting what we’re paying for?

We then cover the transit reform bill(s). While there are some positive structural changes, the major problem is (as we predicted) the plan significantly dilutes the voice of the suburbs in mass transit. Even worse, the proposed funding will be extremely tough for voters to swallow and may even cause significant budget problems for collar county governments, all to essentially bail out Chicago and CTA.

Later we dive into pensions and how government unions want to use a minor problem with Tier 2 pensions to significantly increase benefits when that money could go to so many other important priorities. What’s more, at a time when the state is gloating about their record high staffing, are Tier 2 pensions really such an impediment to hiring as we’re so often told?

After talking assisted suicide and energy, we transition into politics, talking about more Democrats facing primary challengers even further from the left, troll candidates feeding on attention (and how in some cases we shouldn’t feed the trolls, but in others, it may be strategically advantageous to do so), and whether we will see serious Republicans announcing “soon.”

We close down the episode with 6 pieces of news you can use and by giving our OGs and clowns of the week.

00:00: Introductions
02:48: Still No Budget 57 Hours Before Deadline
23:30: Mass Transit "Reforms" Bail Out Chicago While Screwing Suburbs
38:44: Despite Record State Hiring, Public Employee Unions Say Tier 2 Benefits Not Enough
45:43: Assisted Suicide Bill Quietly Resurrected at End of Session
55:10: Top Senate Dem Admits Energy Rate Spike About to Hit Working Families Due to Dem Policies
01:03:11: More Democrats Facing Primary Challenges from the Left
01:11:00: Troll Candidates Feed on Attention
01:19:30: Latest Campaign Updates as Republican Announcements Promised "Soon"
01:27:05: Two Democrat Bills Add More Unfunded Mandates on Schools, Forcing Property Tax Hikes 
01:28:49: Last Minute Democrat Bill Would Automatically Seal Criminal Records 
01:30:32: Democrats Pushing Forward Bill to Force Insurance Companies to Cover Convicted Felons
01:32:05: Despite Claims of Underfunding, IL Spends the Most in the Country on Higher Education
01:33:17: Fitch Downgrades Chicago's Financial Outlook to "Negative"
01:36:46: Percentage of Americans Believing Country on the Right Track Near a 16-Year-High
01:39:01: OG & Clown of the Week
01:46:17: Closing Thoughts