THE ILLINOIZE: Monday Free for All
August 9, 2021
Welcome to the Monday Free for All. Here’s a quick compilation of stories that I’ve been writing or reading, things I’ve been hearing, and a little commentary here and there.
If something catches your eye or is interesting, please send it my way to patrick@theillinoize.com.
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COMING TOMORROW
What do new mask and vaccinations mean for the Illinois State Fair? Will it impact crowds and how will it be enforced in the grandstand for concerts? Will the musical acts be subject to the requirement? We’re digging around for more.
YOUR MONDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets)
Ezike: COVID-19 politics, misinformation are harming people (Belleville News-Democrat)
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, called what she described as the politicization of masks and vaccines “heartbreaking” during a recent virtual town hall discussion.
The town hall — themed as an update on “the current state of the pandemic in the Region 4 area” — lasted about an hour on Thursday night. Ezike addressed several COVID-related topics in a question and answer format during the session. Attendees were required to submit their questions and then a moderator picked and chose which ones Ezike answered.
“I am heartbroken that we have made people’s health a political football. I don’t even understand what people gain by telling people a mask, which saves lives every day in the hospital, or a vaccine that has saved so many lives that people around the world in poor countries are begging to get and we have it available everywhere ... the people who are spreading the misinformation, I don’t know what they get by harming peoples’ health,” she said.
Related: Illinois COVID-19 deaths jump 64% in a week (Chicago Sun-Times)
Pritzker mask mandate for Illinois schools unlikely to quell COVID-19 battles at suburban districts (Chicago Tribune)
Even with some breakthrough infections, doctors say the vaccines are working (Chicago Tribune)
Illinois pension debt hits record high (Crain’s Chicago Business)
The latest figures on the state's debt are out from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the legislature’s fiscal unit, and it’s one unending dirge of bad news. All that’s missing is a little charcoal and sack cloth.
Among the toplines: Total unfunded pension liability for the state’s five retirement systems was up again in fiscal 2020, hitting an almost unfathomable $144.2 billion, an increase of roughly $7 billion from the previous year. That record deep hole occurred even though taxpayers contributed a record high amount, with the tab in 2021 scheduled to rise another $500 million to $9.76 billion.
There's more: The total funded ratio of the five funds – the percentage of future liabilities that are covered by available assets – dropped to 39 percent from 40.3 percent. That effectively puts us back where we were way back in 2009 at 38.5 percent, despite a decade of tax hikes, increased taxpayer contributions and an overall booming investment market.
Democrats believe continuing to make the state pension payment each year (which accounts for about 1/4 of the state budget), things will eventually level out. That’s because more employees are coming in as “Tier 2” employees and “Tier 1” employees are on their way out.
But, will it be enough?
Highland Park Mayor Rotering Running for Supreme Court (Sun-Times)
We told subscribers this was coming a couple of weeks ago…
Vowing to "ensure access to justice for all, the mayor of Highland Park launched her bid for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court on Friday, setting the stage for what could be a hotly contested race to represent a newly redrawn district on the state's top court.
Making her third run for higher office in five years, Nancy Rotering, a Democrat in her third term as mayor of the North Shore suburb, joins Democratic and Republican judges in Lake County who are also vying for the seat formerly held by Justice Robert Thomas.
“My mission is to uphold the rule of law and make sure that all Illinoisans have an unbiased, fair and balanced adjudication of the major cases facing our state,” Rotering said in a statement announcing her candidacy.
Lake County Judge Elizabeth Rochford has thrown her hat into the Democratic primary, as well. Republican Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes is also in the race. Both Republicans and Democrats expect this to be an expensive, close race next November.
Former Dixon comptroller who embezzled millions, released from prison (Rockford Register Star)
Crundwell, 68, was sentenced in 2013 in federal court in Rockford to 19 years and seven months in prison for defrauding taxpayers out of $53.7 million to finance a lavish lifestyle that included owning champion horses, an 88-acre ranch and a Florida vacation home.
She swindled the money over a 20-year period from the community of about 15,000 people before she was arrested in April 2012.
Dixon Mayor Liandro Arellano Jr. was surprised to learn of the transfer.
"For many people here that was decades of their life that was damaged and some of that is still very raw for people."
Some of our top links from the past week:
State Fair Concertgoers Will Require Masks and Vaccination Proof
Dillard Seeking Major Financial Backing for Potential Governor Run
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