Tag Archives: politics

Understanding Illinois’ $187.7 Billion Unfunded Liability

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Illinois faces the highest debt-to-asset ratio of any U.S. state at 468.7%, meaning the state owes nearly $5 for every $1 in assets. The $187.7 billion net unfunded liability represents a structural deficit that requires either massive tax increases, spending cuts, constitutional pension reform, or a combination of all three to address. The delayed financial reporting raises additional concerns about transparency and the actual current state of the finances, which could be worse than these already dire figures suggest.

Total Illinois Government Obligations – Comprehensive Picture

Total State Liabilities: $248.67 billion Total State Assets: $53.05 billion

Net Unfunded Liability: $187.7 billion in unfunded liability

Debt Ratio: 468.7%, the largest in the U.S.

This means every person in Illinois’s 12.7 million population would need to pay $14,780 to eliminate the state’s unfunded obligations.

Breakdown of Major Obligation Categories

1. Pension Unfunded Liabilities: $143.7 billion (as of latest COGFA report)

  • This represents the largest component of the state’s obligations
  • Pension obligations are not constituted of borrowing or financing, but rather are actuarially estimated payments that the State is obligated by law to pay in the future

2. Bonded Debt: $38.1 billion in total outstanding debt

  • Over the past ten years, the State of Illinois has reduced its total amount of outstanding debt by 13.5%, or $5.9 billion, from $44.0 billion to $38.1 billion

3. Major Bond Categories:

  • General Obligation (GO) bonds for capital projects, GO bonds for pension obligations, GO bonds to pay backlogged bills and Build Illinois revenue bonds
  • Pension Obligation Bonds: $8.4 billion in principal and interest is scheduled to be paid by the maturity date of June 2033
  • Bill Payment Bonds: $2.8 billion in principal and interest is scheduled to be paid by the maturity date of November 2029
  • Pension Buyout Bonds: $1.8 billion of $2.0 billion authorized has been issued

Critical Financial Reporting Issue

Severely Delayed Financial Reporting: Illinois still has no ACFR for 2023, a fiscal year that ended over 565 days ago, while states have averaged just 200 days to publish their ACFRs. This means the most current comprehensive audited financial data is over 2.5 years old.

Actionable Financial Impact Details

Annual Debt Service Growth:

  • Current pension contributions: $11.2 billion in FY 2025
  • Projected to grow to $18.5 billion by 2045
  • Governor Pritzker’s FY2026 budget proposal projects a year-over-year reduction in debt from the prior year of approximately $200 million, or 0.5%

New Bond Issuances: The State plans to issue nearly $2.1 billion in new GO bonds to fund capital projects in FY 2026, up from $1.3 billion in FY 2025.

Additional Context – Local Government Debt

The state-level figures above don’t include local government obligations. Historical analysis suggests that when including all state and local retirement obligations, state and local governments in Illinois owe more than $203 billion for pensions and retiree health insurance (though this figure is from 2017 and would be significantly higher today).

Contemporary Misuse of ‘Racism’ in Immigration Discussions

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On the Misapplication of “Racism” in Immigration Discourse

I have concluded that many Americans, particularly in media and political commentary, frequently misapply the term “racism.” At its core, racism involves discriminating against someone based on their race or ethnicity. However, this fundamental definition has become obscured in contemporary political discourse.

The Immigration Law Context

Consider the ongoing debate over unauthorized border crossings from Central and South America. Federal immigration law specifically defines individuals who enter the country without proper documentation as “illegal aliens”—this is the precise legal terminology found in U.S. Code Title 8. When Americans express concern about unauthorized entry and call for enforcement of existing immigration laws, this opposition stems from legal and procedural objections, not racial animus.

Distinguishing Legal Concerns from Racial Discrimination

The key distinction lies in motivation and criteria. Those opposing illegal immigration cite several specific concerns:

  • Legal precedent: Immigration laws exist and should be enforced consistently
  • Process fairness: Legal immigrants who followed proper procedures deserve respect for their compliance
  • Resource allocation: Unauthorized entry can strain public services and infrastructure
  • National sovereignty: Countries have legitimate interests in controlling their borders

These objections would apply regardless of the immigrants’ racial or ethnic background. If unauthorized border crossers were primarily from Canada, Eastern Europe, or any other region, the same legal and procedural concerns would remain valid.

The Consequences of Misapplication

When legitimate policy disagreements are reflexively labeled as racism, several problems emerge:

  1. Definitional erosion: The term loses its precision and impact when applied too broadly
  2. Discourse shutdown: Complex policy discussions get reduced to accusations rather than substantive debate
  3. Actual racism obscured: Real instances of racial discrimination become harder to identify and address
  4. Political weaponization: The racism accusation becomes a tactical tool rather than a meaningful moral category

A More Precise Framework

Rather than defaulting to racism accusations, we might ask more specific questions:

  • Is the objection to unauthorized entry consistent across all ethnic groups?
  • Do the stated concerns focus on legal status rather than racial characteristics?
  • Are similar standards applied to immigration violations regardless of country of origin?
  • Do proposed solutions address legal processes rather than targeting specific ethnic groups?

This framework allows us to distinguish between legitimate policy preferences and actual racial discrimination, preserving the important moral weight that accusations of racism should carry.

And Biden is still an idiot…after all these years…

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In May 2009, my inaugural year for blogging, I wrote that I thought Biden was a idiot. Not sure why I decided to pick on Biden at that point but I did and you can see my post for details.

In November 2019, I once again had to write that I thought Biden was an idiot… so 10 years from my initial assessment I concluded once again Biden was an idiot. Now that the idiot is President, I am more convinced that ever he is an idiot. He has never done anything as a Senator, as a legislator, as VP or now as President. Oh sure he has been a government hack or buffoon if you like, but he was aggressively mediocre in every capacity. I kinda coined the term “aggressively mediocre” just for Biden.

Now of course as President in 2024, he is not only still an idiot, he is too old, too worn out and sadly, but frankly showing signs of senility. He tells god awfully boring stories, which often are pure fabrication. I do not throw around the title of “idiot” haphazardly. I have given it serious thought using definitions, my observations as well as instincts… he is a idiot.

In 50 years, what did he seriously accomplish? If you wanna know go to my section on each of the last 3 Presidents and see my assessment. He was a bit zero. 94 Crime bill, that’s pretty much it. And I consider an accomplishment something that helps me personally and in turn all of you that may some day stumble onto this assessment. Accomplishments are not “feel good” statements, or committees they sit on, or platitudes on silly shit. I actually would suggest Biden has taken us backwards in the name of the “Green Dumb Deal”. Killed us financially! Oh he BORKED a Sumpreme Court nominee. Was he in on Clarence Thomas, as that was in Thomas’ words a “high class lynching”. Oh well once an idiot pretty much always an idiot.

I would not even walk across the street to meet Biden… why? That’s prcisely the question!

So in closing if you voted for Biden 2020, you were misled by the media. And now with the idiot gone, you have an even bigger idiot running for democrat President in Kamala Harris. Both a buffoons. And those instincts that said not to vote for Biden, but you hated Trump so much you ignored those instincts, well ignore your emotions and vote your instincts. Trump is the man.

I welcome any and all people that would suggest Trump did anything nefarious as President unlike Biden. The man lost $2 billion dollars as President and gave away his salary to boot. NO!!! He is not doing it for the money, unlike every other politician, he is doing it because he cares about all of us, black, brown and even a white boy like me.

Gender vs Sex: Legal Shifts and Privacy Concerns

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In my endeavor to comprehend the transgender issue and its implications on society, I have been examining the various laws that safeguard the “right to privacy”. The Fourth Amendment guarantees protection against unreasonable search and seizure, with other Amendments reinforcing this principle.
Part of this right entails the privacy of our unclothed bodies, which traditionally meant that individuals would undress only in the presence of others of the same gender. State laws have long dictated that men use men’s facilities and women use women’s facilities.

This interpretation of the law remained unchallenged until 2018, when the distinction between “gender” and “sex” came into question. Previously considered synonymous, the Courts now differentiate between the two, defining gender as one’s identity and sex as biology. Consequently, biological men can now use women’s facilities based on their gender identity.

This shift in interpretation raises concerns about the potential clash between schools embracing pro-transgender policies and the infringement of rights of others. It appears discordant with societal norms for the Courts to prioritize the rights of transgender individuals over those of other citizens, especially without due consideration.

WTF is going on with Democrats and the commie liberal media…

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I am furious how the democrats are turning illegal immigration into a political brownie point.  Democrats could resolve the issue, but instead being the political HACKs they are, they are doing nothing except sowing acrimony and outrageous claims of our immigration actions being akin to “Nazi Germany”.  Democrats and the media are claiming Trump is maliciously separating families in the name of fighting illegal immigration and in turn is causing horrific pain and suffering to these poor people seeking only a better life.

FACTS:  12,000 children are now being housed by the Federal government under conditions we all know are superior to the condition from which they came.  10,000 of these children came here under Obama and came alone without a parent.  2,000 are approximately the number of children separated from their parents during Trump’s term thus far.  2,000 children is sad, but it pails by comparison to Nazi Germany.  Fuckin democrats and the media won’t tell you these facts because these facts would not cause the turmoil that a bogus absurd blanket fact less statement makes.  The biggest culprits in this sham scam are Schmuck Shumer and Nancy Nitwit Pelosi.  They should be ashamed of their use of a sad situation to gain political advantage.  These two epitomize why Trump was elected.  American’s are fuckin’ tired of politicians seeking only power and money for their personal gain… managing our lives through their stupid policies and actions.  In their power grab, they seek to create dissension and division among our people.  They all should be “term limited” and thrown off the golden gate bridge inside a burlap bag and drowned in their left coast sanctuary city’s San Francisco Bay.

What is going on specifically?  Parents or human traffickers or drug cartels are sending people from south of our border across our border for the sole purpose of seeking asylum because they are not happy where they live. I say tough shit!!  Hell if I thought about it I could probably find something that I am not happy with… get over it.  Reform your sad sack of shit country and stay home.  We don’t need you.  We are fine just as we are and if you are not here now, don’t come.

Anyway, in the process of illegally entering the United States seeking asylum, children are caught in the crossfire and in some cases are separated from their adult travel companions allegedly their parents.  Ludicrous… these parents are at fault for any child being separated.  These people should never have traveled to the United States in the beginning, they have been told there is zero tolerance for illegal immigration.  I strongly support zero tolerance for illegal immigration and most Americans do, but I don’t support separating families.  So Congress get off you dumb fat asses and do something in particular you democrats… because without your support the Republicans cannot pass legislation to change the current policy.

For those who read this, and are not like minded ask yourself: “What are the democrats doing to resolve this situation?”  Seriously… WTF are they doing?  NOTHING!!! They are using this to create a political talking point.  Notice every democrat interviewed makes reference to “Nazi Germany”… it’s a coordinated effort by the democrats and the media to take back Congress and fuck up the positive trajectory we finally are traveling as a Country.

Bottom-line, we cannot continue to let everyone walk all over us.  And illegal immigrants are kicking us squarely in the teeth as they CHOOSE to violate our laws.  They know they are not welcome here illegally, but they CHOOSE to ignore our laws.  I say stay home and you won’t have to deal with any small inconvenience you might suffer being processed through our system for illegal entrants.  Enough said.

Bill Maher… could the man be any more ill-informed?

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Seriously, Bill Maher babbles incessantly about politics and religion as if he knows the so-called “truth”. The man simply and fraudelantly makes up stuff and passes it off as fact. For him to say on Larry King the other night, that Obama is genuine and a “man of the people” is laughable. Regardless of what I think of the Obama, the man is an elitist, and has never spent a day in his life facing the hardships that most Americans have endured. He has always had the best schools, the best surroundings and the best opportunities. Obama is many things, but he is NOT a man of the people. Having said this, Bill Maher cannot seriously think he is an informed person. But regardless the problem I have with Bill Maher is that he passes as fact… his personal opinions. And in doing so, he poisons the ill-informed masses who cannot discern reality and truth for themselves. The political elitist pin-heads from Hollyweird are becoming more dangerous than Bin Laden. They are poisoning our children with bogus facts and complete nonsense. They just say things… without regard to facts or reality. It is just appalling and sickening. While I believe in everyone’s right to free speech, I don’t agree that people can simply say anything and not be challenged. These people are dangerous because they know not what they are talking. I pray that somehow some way the lies and egregious distortions can be challenged and shown for what they are: personal opinions completely devoid of fact. And Bill Maher would be my first target to challenge his so-called command of facts on politics and religion. The man is a “train wreck full of absurdity”.