Free Republic

Chicago law firms have found a new way to get paid at taxpayers’ expense: suing the city for alleged police misconduct. The suits are draining hundreds of millions from Chicago’s coffers at a time when the city can’t afford to lose a dime. Voters should hold their leaders accountable for enabling this racket. For years, Chicago has led the nation in overturning supposedly wrongful convictions. This has resulted in a windfall for law firms—both those suing the city and those hired by the city to settle cases. Since 2000, Chicago has paid over $700 million in settlements to criminal defendants...

It’s good to be in the top 10 of an Illinois state pension plan: median contribution, $165,852; median lifetime payout, $5.5 million. The top 10 pensioners in each of its five statewide systems has already received a median state pension worth $3.88 million since retiring. They are predicted to each collect about $1.62 million more during their lifetimes. Workers who spend their careers working for Illinois collect the third-most generous retirement benefits in the nation. But the top 10 pensioners in each system earn more than double the median lifetime payout of these career pensioners. Former Elgin School District 46...