If Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly are serious about saving money by changing the pension benefits of current state workers, they will probably need to pick a nasty and costly court fight with labor.
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Posted inInvestigations, News, Newsroom
Explainer: What is GARS?
It’s the General Assembly Retirement System and it’s virtually broke—a sorry situation shared by other major state-backed employee pension plans, which must increasingly rely on taxpayer-supported financing and accounting gimmicks to shore them up.
Posted inInvestigations, News
Dumped-On Englewood Watchdog Blasts City, Bags Clean-up
Watchdog Theresa Jones got new neighbors a few weeks ago: bags and bags of garbage. The BGA and FOX Chicago News’ Dane Placko report.
Posted inNews, Results & Reforms
WATCHDOG WINS CLEAN-UP
APRIL 26, 2011 — An Englewood resident who complained about illegal dumping in a vacant lot next to her home finally sees results — after the BGA and FOX Chicago News get involved and start asking questions of the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, which ultimately cleared away the rat-infested debris.
Posted inInvestigations, News
Elderly Couple Endures A Knock-Down Fight With Chicago Bureaucracy
For two months, an elderly South Side couple contested a $1,300 bill from the city for a property they never owned.
Posted inNews, Results & Reforms
CHICAGO BUREAUCRATS BACK OFF
APRIL 25, 2011 — City bureaucrats who had been insisting that an elderly South Side couple owe the government more than $1,300 for a garage tear-down finally back off after the BGA investigates and presents evidence that the couple did not own the garage in question.
Posted inNews, Results & Reforms
COOK COUNTY INTERNAL PROBE
April 18, 2011 — Cook County launches an internal probe to examine excessive spending and ways in which it could be limited after a BGA/Crain’s investigation exposes excessive use of overtime by Cook County hospitals and clinics, reporting that approximately $40 million is spent annually on overtime pay.
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
Overtime Goes Overboard at Cook County Hospitals
Staff shortages and management woes at Cook County hospitals are pushing overtime to extraordinary levels, imposing huge costs on taxpayers and raising concerns about patient safety.
Posted inNews
Chi Trib on BGA investigation of Metra ‘Source Code’ shakedown
Investigation of payment demand from ‘Source Code’ production supervisor in hands of private firm
Posted inNews, Results & Reforms
METRA INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
APRIL 12, 2011 — Metra belatedly launches an investigation after a BGA and CBS2 investigation finds that a former high-level employee of the commuter rail agency allegedly tried to shake down the production team for the movie “Source Code,” which used Metra property in filming.
