How Do You Solve A Problem Like Chicago Pensions?

On Background - NEWEST LOGO
On Background - NEWEST LOGO

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Chicago Pensions?

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

This week, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel put forward a road map for his successor to fix the city’s beleaguered pensions. 

The directions include: legalizing pot, opening a casino in Chicago, borrowing money, and changing the state constitution. 

WBEZ’s Al Keefe, Claudia Morell, and host Becky Vevea explain how the city’s pensions got so messed up, why the solutions are so difficult, and why you should give a s*** about it right now. 

Editing by Al Keefe. Production by Justin Bull. 

Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week’s big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.