Barickman talks Chicago financial problems

Posted on May 8, 2016
State Sen. Jason Barickman doesn't want to see the state bailout Chicago. (WJBC File Photo)
State Sen. Jason Barickman doesn’t want to see the state bailout Chicago. (WJBC File Photo)

By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – According to State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), mismanagement is the reason Chicago Public Schools is broke.

Barickman said the district has had years of poor decision making, such as skipping pension payments.

“They’ve done a lot of the things in the City of Chicago that we’ve heard and talked about that put the State of Illinois in the position that they’re in,” he said.

Barickman added the same goes for the broke city as a whole. He said Barickman says Mayor Rahm Emanuel has tried blaming Gov. Bruce Rauner for their financial problems, but Chicago’s problems began long before Rauner got into office.

“I think a lot of us around the state recognize the dire condition that Chicago is in,” said Barickman. “Chicago is a part of our large 13 million people state and we want to see the city healthy and thrive.”

However, Barickman said the health of Chicago should not come at the cost of the state in the form of a bailout.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

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