Illinois S&P Rating is Worst in the Nation

State Treasurer Dan Rutherford says poor credit rating will cost taxpayers.

Standard & Poor’s rating services downgraded Illinois’ credit rating today to A-, with a negative outlook, making it the lowest rating of all 50 states. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford blamed the negative rating on inaction on the public pension system by Gov. Pat Quinn and the general assembly, at a press conference today. Illinois has a $96 billion pension deficit. Rutherford pointed out numerous instances in which the state had set a deadline to address pension reform and did not meet the deadline, which was followed by a downgrade in the state’s credit rating. “Every time a deadline is set and nothing happens substantively, there is a negative action by rating agencies, Rutherford said. Rutherford explained that the poor credit rating …

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Pension Foes Allied Against Constitutional Amendment

Pension-related amendment to state constitution on Nov. 6 ballot is confusing, catastrophic and fake reform, say foes and legal experts. What you need to know before you vote.

By Jayette Bolinski, Illinois Watchdog SPRINGFIELD — Opposition to a proposed pension-related constitutional amendment that will go before Illinois voters Nov. 6 is creating strange bedfellows — from public employee unions to good-government groups that agree the question is not worthy of a change to the state’s constitution and does nothing to address the pension crisis. Groups opposed to the amendment are numerous and come from all walks of life. It’s no surprise that public-employee unions are opposed to the amendment, which requires a three-fifths majority vote before any public body can approve a pension benefit increase. Good-government groups, such as the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and the Illinois Policy Institute, …

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Police Chiefs Discuss Challenges with Legislators

Police chiefs from across Lake County, including Buffalo Grove and Vernon Hills, participated in a round-table meeting Oct. 17 with State Rep. Sid Mathias.

Area police chiefs gathered with legislators last week to raise awareness about the challenges they face in law enforcement and to request state support for local efforts.  Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steve Balinksi, Vernon Hills Police Chief Mark Fleischauer and Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran were among the representatives present at the meeting, which was open only to law enforcement officials and the media. They candidly shared thoughts about funding cuts, prescription drug disposal problems and pension issues, among other concerns, with State Rep. Sid Mathias (R-53rd) and Congressman Robert Dold (R-10th). Prescription drug disposal A big challenge for some local police departments lies in carrying out prescription drug disposal …

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Downtown Development, Pension Reform Questions Raised at Public Meeting

Dozens of residents gathered Monday night to talk with Buffalo Grove Village President Jeff Braiman, Lake County Board Chairman David Stolman and State Rep. Sid Mathias (R-53rd).

The proposed downtown Buffalo Grove was the focus of the conversation at a Town Hall meeting hosted Monday night by three elected officials who live in the village. Village President Jeff Braiman, Lake County Board Chairman David Stolman and State Rep. Sid Mathias delivered updates from their respective offices and fielded questions from the crowd. Of the 50 or so citizens who gathered in the Vernon Township Community Services building, 13 had the chance to ask questions about matters facing the community. Six of those questions pertained to a developer’s proposal to convert the Buffalo Grove Golf Club and municipal campus into a downtown featuring stores, homes, parks and entertainment venues. Citizens asked Braiman questions and voiced …

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Letters to the Editor

Hartstein Seeks Public's Support for Pension Reform

Letter to the editor

As a strong proponent of meaningful Pension Reform, and being disappointed in the State legislature’s failure to adopt any meaningful structural pension reform this session, I seek to bring people together to push for Pension reform at the earliest possible time. I am asking anyone interested in working with me to help rally public support to contact me by email at elliotthartstein@yahoo.com along with your email and contact information. I am hopeful that there are other people who recognize the importance of quickly working to remedy this significant impact on the state’s fiscal health and its ability to continue to meet the need of citizens throughout the state. I hope to get some people to help ignite significant public support for …

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Letters to the Editor

'Stop the Bleeding' with State Pension Reform

Letter to the editor

The time for meaningful action on the State’s Pension problem is now. The billions of dollars that saddle the State with an economic pension albatross cannot be solved by shifting the burden to school districts or to local governments as some leaders in Springfield have talked about. The problem requires structural change. That means that the suggestions that were made by Governor Quinn deserve serious discussion and action. Whether the specific details of his proposals are approved or not, they are meaningful ideas and concepts that need to be considered for adoption. The only way to stop the bleeding of our state’s coffers is to make some real changes that will have a long term effect on the amount of money that has to be paid, not just …

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Patch Flash: Illinois Owes Billions in Unpaid Bills

Chicagoland news to talk about: Police find 5-foot alligator at alleged marijuana grow house.

Drowning in deficits, Illinois has turned to a deliberate policy of not paying billions of dollars in bills for months at a time, creating a cycle of hardship and sacrifice for residents and businesses helping the state carry out some of the most important government tasks. Once intended as a stop-gap, the months-long delay in paying bills has now become a regular part of the state's budget management, forcing businesses and charity groups to borrow money, cut jobs and services and take on personal debt. Illinois lawmakers are trying to close pension loopholes — they created — that are allowing union leaders to cash in on public pensions. Legislation from state Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, and House GOP Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, targets…

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