Questions for Illinois’ so-called progressive Democrats who have chosen to run and hide

[HiPointDem]

Last edited Mon Dec 31, 2012, 02:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Thousands of Illinois public employees, teachers included, made plans to talk to state legislators when they were going to meet in lame duck session January 3rd. Emails were sent out. Phone calls were made. Buses were rented. Vacation plans were changed.

Chicago area’s so-called progressive Democrats like Dan Biss, Elaine Nekritz, Robin Gabel and Kelly Cassidy are sponsoring a pension reform bill that will do great harm to retirees if it is passed. But once the word went out that we were coming, the House cancelled their session until January 6th. So since I’ll be in Springfield on January 3rd and the so-called progressive Democrats will be in hiding, here is my point:

You know now that your bill and any bill that diminishes or impairs the retirement benefits of state employees is in violation of the state’s constitutional pension protection provision. You know now that it breaks a contractual agreement.

You know now that cutting benefits such as cost of living increases to retired seniors or denying them access (Just access. Teachers already pay their own premium.) to the state’s retiree health insurance does nothing to reduce the billions of dollars in pension liability.
You know now increasing teacher contributions won’t make a dent in the state’s pension ob You know now that shifting the cost of the pension obligation to local districts will create havoc for already cash-strapped school districts and local tax-payers...


We can conclude that your only interest is protecting those that can most afford to pay, no matter who it hurts. We’re coming next Thursday. You can run, but you can’t hide.

http://preaprez.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/questions-for-illinois-so-called-progressive-democrats-who-have-chosen-to-run-and-hide-on-janurary-3rd/

[msanthrope]

1. Did you write this or are you exceeding the 4 paragraph limit

with the author's permission???

[xchrom]

2. Du rec. Nt

[msanthrope]

3. I think reforming pension abuse by union officials was a good thing....

I think claiming your taxpayer-funded city pension based on your higher union salary was a loophole that needed closure and was a bipartisan measure that passed overwhelmingly.


I think not being able to take a taxpayer-funded leave of.absence from you city job to work your union job is a good thing, too.

Those are specific, smart pension reforms passed by Democrats.

[fklonsky]

5. Not smart reforms.

The particular reform you are referring to was passed two years ago.
The current Democratic Party pension reform proposals would cut cost of living adjustments to retirees, raise the retirement age, shift the defined benefit pension system to a 401K type cash balance plan and would end the state's responsibility for paying their share of the pension cost.
Curent state employees pay 9.4 percent of their salary into the system. The state has not fully met their obligation for the past 50 years. The state now has a 100 billion dollar pension liability. It must be paid, yet none of their proposals for cutting benefits to senior pensioners would solve this problem. Illinois is only one of a few states that does not have a progressive income tax. A housekeeper at the Hyatt hotel pays the same tax rate as Penny Pritzker who owns the hotels. The state cannot pay its bills without raising revenues.
It is hard to think of this situation as smart or Democratic. Looks more Republican.
It is the state that has been the pension abuser. Not the state's employees.

[madrchsod]

4. illinois a wonderful state

we vote for democrats because the other side is worse then they put a knife in our backs. there`s probably 10 democrats in the entire legislative branch that actually supports the unions. the rest do what ever the families tell them to do.

the only good thing about illinois is all the unions in illinois are united..they have`t forgot an injury to one is an injury to all.

[HiPointDem]

6. that's interesting about the unions being united. i was wondering why chicago was the only

major city to make a strong stand against education deform.