CPS drops bombshell: Needs $269M from city

Crain's Chicago Business ^

[ameribbean expat]

Matt McGrath, a spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, confirmed the city will take responsibility for the $279 million itself, even though it has its own gap of nearly $200 million, including the cost of hiring new police.

"I'm sure we will" come up with those funds, he said. But "no details" are available today.

[Slyfox]

I wonder how many CPS employees (including janitors and other support staff) are paid > $100k?

That would be a great topic for a reporter to scout out. Real journalists used to do that sort of thing.

[Slyfox]

And the Post Office general has just announced that he needs to have the freedom to increase the price of stamps because of the cost of healthcare for postal workers is in the billions.

It never ends.

[tennmountainman]

Yep. Just more taxes on top of taxes.

[ptsal]

A few days ago, there was a story about the number of felons running for Detroit’s city council.

How does that compare with Chicago’s council?

Are there more council members than former governors in prison?

[ptsal]

This problem has been weighing heavily on Ms. Lewis.

[kearnyirish2]

I see a lot less mailboxes around now, and more and more mail is just junk; I wouldn’t be surprised is we move towards a simpler model (where people retrieve their own mail from central locations - I believe some places already do this). My town closed its second (smaller) post office a few years ago; wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing is downsizing through attrition.

[Tax-chick]

Rounding error, that’s all.

[Tax-chick]

I always think “City Public Services.” That was our gas and water company in San Antonio.

[Slyfox]

The report I said the main problem is that the amount of first class mail is way down. So, the solution is to “tax” the people who still write letters with the sole burden of fixing the shortfall. Yeah, that’ll work.

[Tax-chick]

We used to have an independent newspaper that reported this information on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and city government. It’s a matter of public record, apparently.

[Moonman62]

And of course these @$$holes sprung this on the taxpayers a week before school starts so now it’s a crisis that has to be resolved immediately without debate or consideration for any alternatives.

...

Chicago has some very smart criminals.

[Oldexpat]

Check out the size of the head of the teachers onion. That one big mamma.

[stylin19a]

years back she had a brain tumor removed and they still elected her.

[mewzilla]

To put that $6 bil budget in perspective, in 2016 the state of Vermont had a gross domestic product of about $31 bil. The CPS has a budget about a fifth of VT’s annual GDP.

That is insane.

[DuncanWaring]

The penninsula that separates “Green Bay” from Lake Michigan is known as “Door County”.

It’s generally a high-priced resort/vacation area.

A significant portion of the property owners there are retired Chicago school teachers.

[mewzilla]

$5.7 bil divided by 381,349 pupils translates to about $14,946 per kid.

[mewzilla]

I’ve looked at a lot of school bugets. Two biggest costs are pensions and healthcare bennies. By far.

[mewzilla]

Budgets...

[cherry]

but their making a nice rich and loyal govt class....what’s not to love unless you’re not a govt employee with your fat benefits and pension and wages and can not be fired...

[DuncanWaring]

... and your benefits/pensions/wages are protected by the state constitution.