Madigan and Cullerton. Leading the charge against teacher pensions.
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton has a plan for solving the state’s pension obligation.
Teachers already pay almost 10% of their salary into the retirement system. His plan is to have the teachers for the rest of it.
Springfield State Journal Register:
Cullerton said local funding of teacher pensions could be phased in over a five or 10-year period. The effect wouldn’t be as drastic for downstate school districts, he said, because downstate teachers are generally paid less, he said.
“You guys aren’t paying a lot to your teachers down here,” Cullerton told the editorial board. “The people that benefit tremendously are the wealthier suburban school districts. They’re paying gym teachers $150,000. They never have to worry about paying the normal cost into a pension fund.”
Property tax caps in many counties will prevent those taxes from rising, Cullerton said, so boards of education will need to take a hard line at the negotiating table.
“There’s less money for salaries and sick days because you have to pay off the top your … cost into the pension fund,” Cullerton said. “You could tell the teachers, ‘Hey, you don’t get to raise property taxes.’”
Fred Klonsky 
why ?
There is no way in hell that proposal will ever pass.Indeed it has not been introduced.
So why bring it up? I think it is a tactic to scare the hell out of taxpayers .Later on they will say well if we can reform teachers out of their pension we will not have to do this.Faced with higher property tax bill or teachers loosing their pension the choice is obvious.
One argument is that Chicago tax payers already pay a levy for pensions and pay state income tax.Never mentioned is that they haven’t paid a dime into that fund for 17 years.
Maybe you’re right, Bob. Maybe Cullerton’s call for the pension shift payment is a diversion. But maybe it’s not. Cullerton and the Senate Democrats have never been warm to SB512. The Senate Democrat’s lawyer says SB512 is unconstitutional and Cullerton has said it makes no sense to pass a bill that will end up in the courts for years. Which it will. Cullerton is looking for a third way. Something other than do nothing or SB512. I think we must oppose both and so should the union leadership.
Sb12 will do nothing to lower the current defecate.Only lowering pension payments or
finding another tax source will.Even if Illinois begins to tax retirees income it will just raise more money for the politicians to spend.Shifting the burden to local districts is an appealing solution for democrats,but should galvanize republicans and down state
democrats like nothing else. Personally i look for an expanded version of SB12 to include taxing retirees income, and a lowering of present payments.Like you said shifting is
a diversion, but might be a very effective .
I believe this is a way to turn the public against teachers by pitting them against the taxpayers they serve in the pension debate – from yet another Democrat.
There’s one problem however. The public knows their teachers. The public likes their teachers. They trust their kids to their teacher’s care and supervision every day.
The public doesn’t know, like, or trust politicians.
The real reform needed is to reform who sits in the state capitol.