More rain is expected this afternoon. No picnic at the park or forest preserve? Extra time to do some work on Senate Bill 512.
If you have called 188 412 6570 and haven’t gotten through. Or if you haven’t gotten a response, there’s other things you can do.
Bob Haisman is a retired teacher and the former president of the IEA. He sends along these suggestions:
E-mail your legislator. In the subject line write, “Do not cut my Pension” — or — “NO SB512”
Visit a district office and leave hand written notes. If the office is not open? Tape it to door.
I’ve been telling friends and colleagues not to assume a no vote is a no vote. Assume every vote is a yes vote until the vote is taken.
Tell your legislator that A YES vote means a NO vote from you and every teacher friend and family member.
Illinois House members phone numbers and fax numbers.
Illinois Senate members phone numbers and fax numbers.
Fred Klonsky 
Shift all the costs to the workers? With NO increase in pension funding? I have a few questions. What kind of people are funding the lobbyists and the media campaigns that paint public employees as undeserving and Unions as the bad guys? In Illinois, they are the kind of people who have $20+ million dollar incomes and $20 million dollar retirement packages. With Corporate after tax profits at an a time high and Warren Buffet himself asking why his tax rate is lower than the tax rate paid by his secretary or maid, I think we need to be asking a lot more questions……..So Let’s get started!
What are their goals?
The short term goal is to get the citizens to ask; Why should public employees or Union workers have any pension at all?!?
Persuading the citizens to ask this question turns the middle class against itself. Divide and conquer, not exactly a new tactic…..
If this media influence did not exist, I believe the citizens would be asking; Why can’t we all have a pension? Before you laugh at that question, there are well managed and well funded pension plans out there (99% funded, solid for over 50 years!). If you are interested, E-mail me for more info (jpijanowski@iam126.com).
There is a fundamental difference in these two questions…..
The first question (Why should they have a pension?) divides and weakens us, as we tear each other down.
The second question (Why can’t we all have a pension?) unites us and strengthens us as we work together. (The lobbyists DO NOT want this to happen).
Their ultimate goal……. With after tax Corporate profits at an all time high and $20+ million dollar incomes and $20 million dollar retirement packages all they could want is more. Instead of raising taxes on those that can afford it, they want the middle class pick up the bill. They know exactly how to get more and how to keep it. For chump change, a media campaign and some double talk, they can divide us so they can stick us with the bills…….it is a well known corporate strategy called “externalizing”. That is, make someone else pay your bills to increase your profits and bonuses. GE made $14.2 Billion and paid no taxes. Teams of lobbyists and accountants make sure they pay no taxes by “externalizing”. The top 5 oil companies made 36 Billion in the first 3 months of this year. Their lobbyists made sure that congress did not take away the taxpayer funded subsidies they get (because that would be un-American). They do not want to lose the existing “externalization”.
“The result of NOT participating in politics is that you end up being governed by those who are only interested in conducting public affairs for corporate advantage” JMP Sounds like it is time for us to start paying attention and….participate!
Hey Joe P.
You are pretty fired up about your pension costing you a little more. I bet you wouldn’t mind at all if YOUR pension cost ME a little more.
After all, that’s your whole solution isn’t it?
Where was your outrage when you weren’t personally affected?
Jeffrey,
Your entitled to your own opinions, but you’re not entitled to your own facts.
1. SB 512 wouldn’t cost us a “little more.” It would cost us a lot more. I presently pay $10,000 a year into TRS. If SB 512 passes, it would go up another $5000. In three years it would go up again. And again every three years. Maybe to you that is a little more. To me, that’s harsh. That’s my retirement money. It was promised to me 30 years ago. I get no Social Security. Do you?
2. Nobody is suggesting our pensions should cost you more. The existing pension state obligation to the teacher pension system and to other state employees has been stable for 40 years. It simply hasn’t been paid to the tune of $100 billion. They’ve spent your money on other things.
3. What would you like us to be outraged about? I’m outraged plenty about things that don’t affect me personally. Want a list?
4. What is wrong with being outraged over things that personally affect me? You mean you wouldn’t get outraged if someone had a financial obligation to you and then reneged on it. Damn. You’re a friggin’ saint.
-Fred
Yeah, Jeff, you’re barking up the wrong tree here. TRS members put more of their paychecks into our pensions than almost any other group, and our investments earn us a return that’s also amongst the best. We save YOU taxpayers a lot of money by being pretty awesome with ours.
If these pension didn’t exist, SS would cost the state more. And the State couldn’t skip the payments like they have with TRS (and other funds).
You’re welcome.
My rep, Mike Connelly, just wrote me to let me know that there’s a group of Reps working on an alternative that would bring everyone “to the table” (chose that cliche just for you, Fred : ), and draw up a better solution. Certainly wouldn’t end the fight, but this joke of a bill would, hopefully, then be killed.
I’ll be sure to tell him to save a spot at the table for you.
Fred is right. This an obligation that was promised (guaranteed in fact) but when the other parties don’t fund the system with their share, that’s where the problem comes in. THEN it somehow becomes about how greedy people are for expecting their own pensions.
Do not be fooled into believing the line being put out there, that WE are taking taxpayer money for ourselves. WE contributed and WE are taxpayers.