Chicago could afford more 13,000 cops if it didn't have pension obligations and had 401k like the private sector (employment, wage)

[lovecrowds]

http://www.pionline.com/article/2016...is-fiscal-year

1 billion pension contribution in 2017 and still only partially funded.

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division - May 2015 OES Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

Average police officer: $74,860

Divided by a billion dollars means they could pay for 13,000 at the current median pay if they would have had 401k like the private sector.

[Retroit]

I love how socialism always collapses upon itself.

[middle-aged mom]

Chicago metro is # 44 in terms of Police Officer wage.

Illinois is 1 of 7 states that are shackled by their state Constitutions in terms of accrued pension benefits. Nothing can change on a retroactive basis without mutual consent. No one can wave a magic wand and poof the pensions.

Current Mayor and Governor inherited seriously underfunded pension messes.

While I support replacing all federal, state, county and municipal pensions with 401k accounts, this has nothing to do with prior obligations.

Firefighters and Police officers are high risk jobs, yet in some places those with municipal clerical desk jobs do just as well, if not better than as those in high risk jobs when it comes to comp and pensions.

This is as good an article as any " US love firefighters and police officers, but not their pensions.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...86S02120120730

[pknopp]

Originally Posted by Retroit

I love how socialism always collapses upon itself.

This isn't socialism. It's cronyism.

Chicago doesn't need 13,000 more cops at that.

[2e1m5a]

Because Cops don't have pensions? Most of that liability probably is Cops, so the argument is weak. And for anyone that has a pension like Cops, they will never be convinced that a 401k is equal-because it's not. Humans really are like crabs in a barrel-instead of asking for better pay/retirement from their employers, most would rather drag others down with them.

It continues to amaze me that people $#!t on working stiffs for their measly retirement plans/pensions while the Federal Reserve has created TRILLIONS of our USD out of thin air since 2009 to dole out to their favorite corporations/banks, many foreign, via bailouts and stimulus programs like QE in order to cement the financial power structure in place. You are angry at the wrong people-but the puppet masters and financial terrorists love it. Having everyone dependent on nationless corporations that have hi-jacked our Governments and Central Banks across the World for their livelihoods is not a path I'd like to go down.

Adding more Cops will do nothing for crime-the War on "Drugs" must be ended so Cops can actually focus on violent and real crime.

[le roi]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

http://www.pionline.com/article/2016...is-fiscal-year

1 billion pension contribution in 2017 and still only partially funded.

Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division - May 2015 OES Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

Average police officer: $74,860

Divided by a billion dollars means they could pay for 13,000 at the current median pay if they would have had 401k like the private sector.

key words being "at the current median pay." pensions being a form of compensation, they may or may not have to raise salaries to attract new cops. i personally wouldn't be a chicago cop even if they paid me $200k/yr.