pensions

When we initially booked an interview with our friend Adam Schuster, Senior Director of Budget and Tax Research for Illinois Policy, our topic was going to be what Governor Pritzker's recent budget address meant for business owners and everyday Illinoisans.

On Election Day 2020, voters here in Illinois said "I don't think so" to the Fair or Progressive Tax that was heavily pushed by Governor Pritzker. So, where do we go from here to straighten out Illinois' financial problems?

For those keeping score, Illinois' pension debt has grown 753% under Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s leadership.

During his State of the State address, Governor Pritzker oversold Illinois' economic success, and said very little about our state's pension mess.

During the recent legislative veto session, lawmakers voted to consolidate more than 640 local police and fire pension funds, but it falls far short of solving the state's $200 billion pension problem.

Illinois owes $73 billion in retiree health insurance benefits for state workers, yet doesn't have any money set aside to pay for it.

Illinois' pension problems run deep, and they also amount to a huge chunk of money. What we've been doing hasn't worked, so where do we go now?

The economy may be booming now, but sooner or later tougher times always show up. Is Illinois doing the right things to prepare? You probably know the answer.

Adam Schuster, Illinois Policy's Director of Budget and Tax Research, joined the WROK Morning Show to discuss tax hikes versus reform.

20 years ago, Illinois' property taxes were in the middle of the pack nationally. Since then, Illinoisans' property tax burden has risen 80 percent. Why?