Wirepoints

Illinoisans continue to flee. The state's population dropped by 114,000, or almost 1 percent, in 2021, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. It’s a record loss for Illinois. Only New York lost more people on a percentage basis. There's a lot to break down about the new Census numbers. For more information, go read our new piece: The 2021 Census numbers are horrible for Illinois. (https://wirepoints.org/2021-census-numbers-are-horrible-for-illinois-population-decline-second-worst-in-country-behind-only-new-york-wirepoints/)

Illinoisans continue to flee. The state's population dropped by 114,000, or almost 1 percent, in 2021, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. It’s a record loss for Illinois. Only New York lost more people on a percentage basis. There's a lot to break down about the new Census numbers. For more information, go read our new piece: The 2021 Census numbers are horrible for Illinois. (https://wirepoints.org/2021-census-numbers-are-horrible-for-illinois-population-decline-second-worst-in-country-behind-only-new-york-wirepoints/)

Rising costs for Illinois’ 650 local pension funds are wreaking havoc on city budgets, taxpayer wallets and the retirement security of hundreds of thousands of police, firefighter and municipal workers and retirees. Learn more at – https://wirepoints.org/175cities/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Join Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski, Founder Mark Glennon and Policy Analyst John Klingner on the eleventh episode of Wirepoints’ Podcast: The Dialogue. They discuss the pain Illinoisans are in for as this state reaches a new level of pension debt: $530 billion. To put that massive number in perspective, every Illinois household will be burdened with $110,000 in future taxes just to pay down that debt.

Join Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski and Founder Mark Glennon on the tenth episode of Wirepoints Podcast. Former head of Chicago Public Schools Paul Vallas joins us to discuss the path to school choice in Illinois.

The growth in Illinois’ retirement debts to half-a-trillion dollars is yet another grim reminder that lawmakers refuse to address the pension crisis. Today, most politicians won’t even discuss the possibility of reform. But there are a few. Wirepoints recently co-hosted a Facebook Live event with four Illinois candidates for governor: Darren Bailey, Gary Rabine, Paul Schimpf and Jesse Sullivan. Gov. Pritzker didn't respond to our invitation. To learn more, read Wirepoints' latest report: https://wirepoints.org/illinois-pension-shortfall-surpasses-500-billion-average-debt-burden-now-110000-per-household-wirepoints-special-report/

Illinois just reached an alarming milestone: each Illinois household is now on the hook for, on average, $110,000 in government-worker retirement debts. That figure is the result of dividing Illinois’ $530 billion in state and local retirement shortfalls among the state’s 4.9 million households. In 2019, the burden was $90,000 per household. Wirepoints hosted a virtual press conference with four of Illinois' gubernatorial candidates to highlight the pension issue. Governor Pritzker was also invited. Ted Dabrowski, Wirepoints President – 00:30 Darren Bailey – 11:13 Gary Rabine – 16:13 Paul Schimpf – 20:57 Jesse Sullivan – 26:27 Learn more at – https://wirepoints.org/illinois-pension-shortfall-surpasses-500-billion-average-debt-burden-now-110000-per-household-wirepoints-special-report/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints​ • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints​ • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/​ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

$110,000. That’s what every Illinois household is burdened with to pay down the state’s massive pension debts. It’s an impossible amount that Illinoisans can’t afford. Illinoisans need a solution that reduces state pension debts, makes government-worker retirements more secure, and makes this state more affordable for everyone. Wirepoints has created a reform plan that can do all that, with three key steps. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wirepoints Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Illinois has the worst pension crisis of any state in the country. It’s the nation’s extreme outlier. Every Illinois household is on the hook for nearly $50,000 in pension debts just for the state alone. Learn more at – https://wirepoints.org/pensionsolutions/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wirepoints Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Join Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski and Founder Mark Glennon along with guest Kristen McQueary, the Former Editor of the Chicago Tribune, on the ninth episode of Wirepoints Podcast: The Dialogue. Kristen provides insight on the future of media in Illinois.

Join Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski and Founder Mark Glennon on the eighth episode of Wirepoints Podcast. Mark and Ted attempt to simplify and make sense of the situation involving some 650 local pensions across Illinois.

Join Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski and Founder Mark Glennon on the seventh episode of Wirepoints Podcast: The Dialogue. Do you think COVID deaths among the vaccinated are rare? You want to listen here. Watch more episodes – https://wirepoints.org/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Join Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski and Founder Mark Glennon along with guest Devin Jones on the sixth episode of Wirepoints Podcast: The Dialogue. Devin Jones provides conservative insight on addressing the challenges faced by inner city Chicagoans. Watch more episodes – https://wirepoints.org/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Ted Dabrowski and Mark Glennon talk about how bad COVID data leads to government making bad decisions to manage the pandemic on the fifth episode of Wirepoints Podcast: The Dialogue. Watch more episodes – https://wirepoints.org/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Ted Dabrowski and Mark Glennon talk about the how many people in power believe in the concept of unlimited federal money and why it is a bad disposition to have. Watch more episodes – https://wirepoints.org/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Ted Dabrowski and Mark Glennon talk about how Critical Race Theory is now driving everything in Chicago are government. Watch more episodes – https://wirepoints.org/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Ted Dabrowski and Mark Glennon talk about the Illinois exodus and why it's happening in Illinois. Illinois was one of three states to lose population over the decade. Watch more episodes – https://wirepoints.org/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Ted Dabrowski and Mark Glennon talk about COVID's impact on Illinois government on the first episode of Wirepoints Podcast: The Dialogue. Watch more episodes – https://wirepoints.org/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

This video is the updated version of our September 8, 2020 video. Illinois is shrinking. It’s losing more people than almost any other state in the country. Decades of bad policies have made it too expensive to live here. There aren’t enough good jobs. And Illinoisans no longer trust their government. Over the last 10 years, Illinois’ population has declined by 18,000 people, the second most in the country. Illinois is the nation’s extreme outlier. Learn more at – https://wirepoints.org/pensionsolutions/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Ted Dabrowski appears on Newsmax to talk about Wirepoints research of IRS data showing people are fleeing blue states for red states. See Wirepoints analysis here: https://wirepoints.org/new-irs-data-reveals-which-states-won-and-lost-the-competition-for-people-and-their-wealth-in-2019-wirepoints-special-report/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints​ • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints​ • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/​ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Rising costs for Illinois’ 650 local pension funds are wreaking havoc on city budgets, taxpayer wallets and the retirement security of hundreds of thousands of police, firefighter and municipal workers and retirees. Learn more at – https://wirepoints.org/175cities/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire... Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Highlights from Wirepoints joint press conference with lawmakers on May 5, 2021 in the Blue Room at the Illinois State Capitol to present the key findings of a new report: "Communities in crisis: More than half of Illinois cities get “F” grades for local pensions." Ted Dabrowski, President of Wirepoints, was joined by several lawmakers representing various parts of the state: Rep. Dan Caulkins, Rep. Joe Sosnowski, Sen. Jason Plummer, Rep. Adam Niemerg, Rep. Chris Miller, Rep. Blaine Wilhour, Sen. Win Stoller, Sen. Craig Wilcox, Rep. Brad Halbrook and Rep. Tom Morrison. New Wirepoints research shows that 102 of Illinois’ 175 largest cities get an “F” for their local pension crisis. That’s a dramatic increase compared to 2003, when only seven cities received an “F” grade. Among Illinois’ 20 largest cities, Peoria was the state’s worst-off municipality with an “F” grade. Naperville was the best-off with a “C” grade. View the whole press conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dF6UwzvGDk --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints​ • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints​ • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/​ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire...​ Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Wirepoints hosted a press conference on May 5, 2021 in the Blue Room at the Illinois State Capitol to present the key findings of a new report: "Communities in crisis: More than half of Illinois cities get “F” grades for local pensions." Ted Dabrowski, President of Wirepoints: 0:00 Senator Win Stoller: 4:53 Senator Craig Wilcox: 6:02 Representative Blaine Wilhour: 7:23 Representative Dan Caulkins: 11:08 Representative Joe Sosnowski: 13:38 Representative Tom Morrison: 15:45 Question and answers: 17:18 New Wirepoints research shows that 102 of Illinois’ 175 largest cities get an “F” for their local pension crisis. That’s a dramatic increase compared to 2003, when only seven cities received an “F” grade. Among Illinois’ 20 largest cities, Peoria was the state’s worst-off municipality with an “F” grade. Naperville was the best-off with a “C” grade. Learn more at – https://wirepoints.org/communities-in-crisis-more-than-half-of-illinois-cities-get-f-grades-for-local-pensions-wirepoints-special-report/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints​ • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints​ • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/​ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wire...​ Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Wirepoints' President Ted Dabrowski discuses the new 2020 Census data and what it means for Illinoisans. Illinois had the worst population losses over the decade. Learn more here – https://wirepoints.org/new-2020-census-shows-illinois-population-shrinks-for-7th-year-in-a-row-six-facts-you-should-know/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wirepoints Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video

Shrinking local tax revenues as a result of COVID-19 means hundreds of Illinois municipalities are likely to underfund their public safety pension plans this year. That’s sure to push many of the state’s 643 local pensions closer to insolvency. More than 200 of those plans were less than 50 percent funded even before the pandemic hit. That may soon pit two sets of local government officials against each other: pension fund trustees who are responsible for keeping the funds healthy vs. city officials who've underfunded pensions so they can have enough cash to pay for their active public safety workers and other services. Learn more – https://wirepoints.org/will-covid-19-lead-to-pension-intercepts-and-cuts-to-core-city-services-across-illinois-wirepoints-special-report/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Wirepoints for more original research and commentary on Illinois • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wirepoints • Twitter – https://twitter.com/wirepoints • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wirepoints/ • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wirepoints Hit the SUBSCRIBE button just below the video