Free Republic

Thousands of Chicago Teachers Union members and their supporters blocked a downtown stretch of LaSalle Street early Tuesday evening, staging a show of force amid an intensifying contract battle.. "You have to remember that what you're fighting for is not just a fair contract, it is the history of fair contracts," CTU President Karen Lewis told supporters gathered outside the Thompson Center. "And if we have a chance, this is it. This is the time where you have to stand up and tell 'em all, 'No, we're not going to take that.' " **SNIP** Chicago Public Schools says it is...

The Illinois Supreme Court struck down the state’s 2013 pension overhaul, unraveling an effort by lawmakers to rein in benefits for the consistently underfunded public-sector system. The current pension shortfall is estimated at $111 billion, one of the largest nationally. The high court affirmed a decision in November by a state circuit court that the legislative changes violated pension protections written into the state constitution. The decision is a victory for a consortium of public-sector unions while creating a huge challenge for new Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who already faces a yawning budget deficit for the coming fiscal year.

The California teachers' pension fund still hasn't shaken off its investment in gun maker Bushmaster, more than two years after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. And now the teachers are mad. California teachers are planning a protest at the fund's annual meeting on April 2.

.....A newly published story in the Washington Post notes that Clinton often earns $300,000 or more per speech. On top of that, the prominent Democrat places many a demand on those who want to book her, including having “room temp sparkling and still water” and “two long rectangular (chair) pillows” on hand, according to the contract negotiations the Post obtained. Clinton’s fees have surprised some who booked her, according to the Post story. When UCLA hired her to give a talk earlier this year, a university official noted that Clinton’s spouse—as in former President Bill Clinton—came cheaper. “Wow! She (gets)...

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis reported a $9.1 million operating deficit for fiscal year 2014 and reiterated Thursday that it's considering filing for bankruptcy because of the potential for more lawsuits by victims of clergy sexual abuse. The archdiocese released its financial information in its newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, more than a week after it said it was cutting its central office budget by 20 percent, including 11 jobs. Archbishop John Nienstedt called the situation "disheartening" but wrote that the chancery's finances won't directly affect parishes, schools or other Catholic institutions. "I am determined to see that the...

Detroit's Under-Funded Fire Departments Use a Soda Can For a Fire Alarm Where absent money leaves gaps, ingenuity fills in. Nowhere is that more true than in Detroit's fire departments, where, as Detroit Free Press reporter Tresa Baldas shows us, a soda can full of jangling coins and screws alerts the Motor City's long-suffering heroes when there's an emergency. The system is brilliantly simple: A soda can full of rattling metal is balanced on top of the fire department's printer at the end of the tray. When the printer spits out an emergency alert, the paper knocks over the can....

Wherever Hillary Clinton is going, she needs at least a Gulfstream G450 to get there. The once nearly “dead broke” former First Lady now makes steep demands when she gives speeches to corporations, groups and universities, according to emails between Clinton’s agent and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where Clinton will earn $225,000 for a 90-minute speech in October. The school received a bit of a break from the $300,000 Clinton requested during initial negotiations, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which obtained the emails that were sent last year. The correspondence showed that Clinton normally requires “round-trip transportation...

The federal government paid $2,007,358,200,000 in benefits and entitlements in fiscal year 2013 from government programs, according to data from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s Monthly Treasury Statement. The treasury statement summarizes the financial activities of the federal government, including data on government receipts, outlays, and surplus and deficit totals. The September 2013 monthly treasury statement calculates these metrics for the entire fiscal year of 2013, which began on October 1, 2012 and ended on September 30, 2013. According to the statement, the federal government’s total outlays, otherwise known as spending, for means-tested and non-means tested government programs—not including...

Social Security helps not only retirees but also roughly 9 million of people suffering from disabilities. Unfortunately, the trust fund that covers disability payments is in even worse financial condition than the trust fund that covers retirement benefits. What will happen when the disability program's trust fund runs out? In the following video, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, talks about the two Social Security trust funds, noting that the latest estimates give the retirement trust fund about 20 more years before it runs out of money, but the disability trust fund is slated to be used...

Hillary Clinton has served America for decades; in January 1993, she made history as she became the country's first co-president along with her husband, Bill. After her tour in the White House ended, she answered the call from her adopted state of New York and voluntarily gave up a lucrative career trading cattle futures to act as one of only two US senators from that state. In 2008, after tirelessly devoting herself to helping Barack Obama become America's best president, she looked forward to retiring to a quiet life in a small cottage somewhere. Once again her country called, pleading...

Here are some of the funniest reviews for Hillary’s new book on Amazon. As of right now, the 1 star reviews have a commanding lead. Sickening: I became violently ill before finishing the first chapter and had to burn it in a bio-hazard incinerator. Dangerous stuff. Boring: The directions on shampoo were more interesting than this. I feel like the Clintons owe me 4 hours of my life back. Toilet Paper: Totally unequivocally pure unadulterated stinky no good terrible crap. I would not recommend using this as toilet paper, maybe kindling, do not waste your money.

Fresh off their parody of Obama’s Bergdahl trade, MAD took a shot at Hillary.

But even in the trust, they continued to hold separate accounts for the President, the First Lady and their daughter, Chelsea. Mr. Clinton's share of the blind trust was valued between $15,001 and $50,000, and Chelsea's was worth between $1,001 and $15,000. The First Lady's was put at $500,001 to $1 million.

Today’s reflection: SAWYER: You’ve made five million making speeches? The president’s made more than a hundred million dollars?CLINTON: Well, you have no reason to remember, but we came out of the White House not only dead broke but in debt. We had no money when we got there, and we struggled to piece together the resources for mortgages for houses, for Chelsea’s education. You know, it was not easy. Bill has worked really hard and it’s been amazing to me. He’s worked very hard. First of all, we had to pay off all our debts. You know, you had to...

“We came out of the White House not only dead broke but in debt,” Clinton told ABC’s Diane Sawyer. “We had no money when we got there and we struggled to piece together the resources for mortgages, for houses, for Chelsea’s education. It was not easy.”

Leading lawmakers on Monday called for an immediate investigation into the Obama administration’s controversial decision to release from prison five top Taliban leaders in exchange for an American prisoner that some troops have dubbed a “traitor.” Sen. Lindsay Graham (R., S.C.), in a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee, requested that an immediate hearing be organized to examine if the Obama administration broke any laws by unilaterally releasing five top Taliban leaders in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who spent five years in captivity. Graham and other key lawmakers charge that the White House has jeopardized U.S. national...

Anyone having issues with their California state tax refund.

Earlier this week, House and Senate conferees agreed to final language for the Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA). While most of the attention has focused on the bill’s family and sick leave provisions, one particularly bad policy provision has attracted little attention. Specifically, WESA lays the groundwork for a “state-administered retirement savings plan” for employees in the private sector. Yes, this would essentially be a government-run retirement plan controlled by the State Board of Investment. The ramifications of such a plan could be devastating for private sector employees as well as taxpayers who would likely be on the hook for...

California faces $340 billion in debts, or more than $8,500 for each of its 38 million residents, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office said Wednesday in recommending that the state set priorities for paying down its key long-term liabilities. The state should first address the $73.7 billion shortfall in the teachers' retirement system, a debt that could cost the state, teachers and school districts a combined $5 billion a year to resolve over 30 years. Without changes, the system serving 868,000 members is projected to run out of money by 2046.

It has become a congressional slush fund, in which almost half the money is ladled out through the corrupt system of congressional earmarks. The next time you drive on a highway which is named after a politician, think corruption. Time to shut it down. The proceeds of the tax should be automatically remitted to state governments, or better yet, regional planning agencies. And regulatory barriers to privatization strategies should be repealed. We’re broke. We can no longer afford to be stupid.