UPDATE: Rahm’s BFF + The IEA’s Uncle Charlie. | Fred Klonsky

The IEA’s Uncle Charlie. | Fred Klonsky:

Dan Biss asks for input. Mark supplies it.

by Fred Klonsky

From Senator Dan Biss:

Senate Bill 35 (comprehensive pension reform). Like most people, I continue to believe that resolving Illinois’ terrible pension problem is the most important step toward righting our fiscal ship. As soon as I arrived in the Senate, I filed SB35 — and last Wednesday, I filed Amendment 1to reflect the most recent negotiations. This proposal has received a lot of attention — some positive, and some negative — from workers who believe it demands too much sacrifice of them, and from conservatives who oppose its strong funding guarantee and its preservation of a defined benefit

Rahm’s BFF, Bruce Rauner, sets up gubernatorial exploratory committee. Rich guys.

by Fred Klonsky

Bruce Rauner is a charter-loving, teacher union-hating rich guy who wants to be Illinois Governor.
Talk about your racial entitlement.
A Republican, he is thisclose to Democratic Party Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
He has now set up his exploratory committee. Capitolfax’s Rich Miller points out that there are a lot of rich guys on the list.
As my mom would say, “So, nu?”

Chairman: J.M. “Jim” Schultz, Effingham, IL – Founder of Open Prairie Ventures, 

The IEA’s Uncle Charlie.

by Fred Klonsky

A few days ago I was talking to a guy who is high up in the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
He told me that he didn’t understand the level of what he called vituperativeness in the IEA.
“But I guess it’s a family thing,” he said with a shrug.
I laughed to myself thinking, “Oh, so you know our Uncle Charlie.”
That would be the IEA’s Director of Communications Charles McBarron.
In service to whoever is President, whether it was Ken Swanson or now Cinda Klickna, he runs the IEA website and Facebook page with a bureaucratic and frequently incompetent iron fist.
A past leader of the IEA once laughingly compared IEA’s ability to control internal debate to that of Stalin.

In Chicago Nelson Soza of the Pilsen Alliance speaks about school closings.

by Fred Klonsky

Popout.
Last night at Malcom X College, CPS held their final Walton-funded hearing on school closings.