Please join us in welcoming the latest additions to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. At their most recent meeting, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors unanimously approved and welcomed the following new Board members:

 

• Leroy Bannister, Senior Vice President of Parsons
• John Davidoff, Managing Director of Davidoff Communications
• Brent Estes, President of Rush Health/Rush University Medical Center
• John Idler, President and General Manager of ABC 7 Chicago
• John Kenning, Executive Vice President and President of OfficeMax Workplace
• Jane McFetridge, Managing Partner Chicago of Jackson Lewis LLP
• Neraj Metha, President & CEO, Commercial Distribution Finance business of GE Capital
• Tony Reinhart, Regional Director, Government Affairs of Ford Motor Company
• Kathy Schaeffer, President of Kathy Schaeffer and Associates
• Vivian Smith-Del Toro, Vice President of Operations, Business and Industry Solutions of Sodexo
• Thomas Walker, Jr., Managing Partner - Illinois of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause

The Daily Herald’s November 25th article “Pension relief for suburbs?” is timely as the Illinois General Assembly is returning to Springfield to address public pension reform during the legislative veto session.

 

On behalf of the region’s business community, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce urges Governor Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly to act now to fix the state’s $98 Billion unfunded pension liability which costs taxpayers almost $7 Billion per year and consumes over twenty percent of the state’s total annual budget.

 

The business community can no longer tolerate procrastination on this critical issue. Unfunded pensions will fiscally cripple Illinois and the repercussions are most severe for local governments. If the pension crisis is not addressed, taxes would be raised and basic government services such as healthcare, education, and public safety would have to be cut. Employers require safe neighborhoods, quality schools, reliable transportation systems, and competitive property and sales tax rates to retain and create jobs. The pension crisis threatens all of these things and more.

“The passage of a balanced city budget without new or increased taxes, fines, and fees is an indication that Chicago is heading in the right fiscal direction,” stated Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jerry Roper. “The budget sends a message to businesses that Chicago is working to meet the needs of providing a competitive climate for growth. We applaud the Mayor and the City Council for finding a way to balance the budget by creating savings in city government as opposed to putting additional burdens on taxpayers.”