As part of our Rescuing Illinois Project, we investigative the millions of dollars in pension benefits guaranteed to former statewide office holders.
Investigation
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation, Newsroom
Want Reform? Get Ready to Rumble
If Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly are serious about saving money by changing the pension benefits of current state workers, they will probably need to pick a nasty and costly court fight with labor.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation, Newsroom
Explainer: What is GARS?
It’s the General Assembly Retirement System and it’s virtually broke—a sorry situation shared by other major state-backed employee pension plans, which must increasingly rely on taxpayer-supported financing and accounting gimmicks to shore them up.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Dumped-On Englewood Watchdog Blasts City, Bags Clean-up
Watchdog Theresa Jones got new neighbors a few weeks ago: bags and bags of garbage. The BGA and FOX Chicago News’ Dane Placko report.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Elderly Couple Endures A Knock-Down Fight With Chicago Bureaucracy
For two months, an elderly South Side couple contested a $1,300 bill from the city for a property they never owned.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Overtime Goes Overboard at Cook County Hospitals
Staff shortages and management woes at Cook County hospitals are pushing overtime to extraordinary levels, imposing huge costs on taxpayers and raising concerns about patient safety.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Hollywood Metra
The BGA and CBS2 investigate Metra workers who allegedly wanted “lights, camera and (a piece of the) action” — by reportedly shaking down the production team for “Source Code,” a new movie filmed in part in Chicago.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
BGA Exclusive: Ex Ill. Workers Get Pensions and State Contract Jobs
For state of Illinois workers leaving government service, many have found the grass to be greener on the other side—as state contract employees.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Red-Light Cameras Ticket CTA Bus Drivers, But Taxpayers Charged
With Fox Chicago News, we examined more than 9,000 Chicago red-light camera tickets issued to vehicles with municipal plates since 2006.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
19th Ward is Residential Stronghold for Sheriff Tom Dart Staffers
A BGA/Crain’s analysis of where Cook County sheriff’s department employees live shows a high concentration in or near the 19th Ward—home turf of Sheriff Tom Dart.