The dust hasn’t settled on the pension deal.

Yesterday was a wild day here at fredklonsky.com

I have never received so many comments. Many of them extended and passionate.

3,000 site visits. Nearly 100 comments.

Two people were supportive of the We Are One coalition’s concession. All the rest were critical.

Of course, my readership is somewhat self-selecting.

But again, Kudos to brother Bob Haisman. Bob and I are long-time activists for our union (Bob has a few years on me).

We have locked horns before. More often we have fought on the same side. But Bob doesn’t run from a fight and he has made himself visible in defense of the pension deal. Which is more than can be said for the actual elected leadership of the IEA who struck this awful mess of a deal in the first place.

I thought there were some too-personal attacks made on brother Haisman yesterday. I posted them, because I try to be the not-Charlie McBarron, Director of Communications for the IEA. Unlike McBarron, I may err in favor of more open debate than in a lock-down on discussion.

But I ask that readers keep the discussion civil without getting into personal attacks. Especially on me.  Save that for the real enemies.

Of course, personal attacks are fair game when it comes to them.

Good news comes from Jim Bachman, Executive Director of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association. I am a member of both IEA – Retired and the IRTA.

The Springfield State Journal-Register:

IRTA executive director Jim Bachman called the changes “clearly unconstitutional.”

“The legislation may be less draconian than the bill sent over last week by the House of Representatives, but it still fails the test of constitutionality,” Bachman said in Tuesday’s statement. “If our organization sits back without a fight and allows changes to the spirit of our state’s laws governing enforceable contracts, then no agreement will ever again be safe from arbitrary dissolution under the law.”

Bachman noted the IRTA created a legal defense fund last year to be used to challenge pension legislation it believed to be unconstitutional.

The IRTA represents about 35,000 people. The state Teachers Retirement System said it has about 95,000 retired members.

Cullerton said the union-backed bill is a better alternative to a reform plan passed by the House last week because public employee labor unions vowed not to sue if their compromise is enacted. The unions have threatened to try and block the House plan in court if it becomes law.

The Illinois Education Association negotiated with Cullerton on the compromise plan. IEA spokesman Charles McBarron said the union believes the plan is constitutional because it gives workers a choice. He also said it was reasonable to include both active and retired workers in the plan.

Look for the IRTA to go to court if either SB1 or SB2404 is passed and signed by the governor. You might want to send a check to their legal defense fund.

My blogging pal Glen Brown and I will be the featured speakers at next week’s luncheon of the North Lake Shore Chapter of the IRTA.