The third meeting of the Gang of Ten, the Illinois legislative committee that was formed after the failure of the General Assembly to agree on the best way to cut public employee pensions, will take place today in Springfield.
Nothing will come of it.
If you are truly desperate for something to do, you can watch.
What will not come out of the committee is a plan to address raising revenue.
Maybe some day.
Last week, state university presidents and administrators came up with a proposal that would have the state pay the unfunded pension liability and would shift future costs to the university systems.
I view this proposal as a stalking horse for shifting future costs of all the state pensions systems to local school districts and municipalities.
During one of the NEA RA’s Illinois Caucus meetings I went to the mic to ask President Klickna for a report on last week’s Gang of Ten meeting.
An interesting part of her brief report was that she distanced the IEA somewhat from the proposal of Ralph Martire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
It was a minor difference over the percentage of assets to liability any amortization of the debt should shoot for. Ralph suggested around 80%. Klickna wants more.
No matter, really.
As I said, nobody expects anything to come of this.
Nothing like putting off for tomorrow what you should have taken care of 60 years ago.
Fred Klonsky 
Beware of the “state university and adminstrators proposal.”
(the proposal was developed by the Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) at the University of Illinois…it is titled “Six Simple Steps to Reforming the State Universities Retirement System (SURS).”)
The proposal is anything but “simple.”
Beware that the IGPA COLA provision is to “change it” to utilize 1/2 the CPI. When comparing 1/2 the CPI to CPI (a benefit similar to those earning Social Security) backtested using the past 14 years of data, the average SURS annuitant (2012 avg. $35,800) would “sacrifice” over $57,000. (good for the state, what about retirees?)
Beware that the IGPA proposes shifting the normal SURS costs to the community colleges/Universities. (good for the state and SURS, but what about current employees, students, and taxpayers when these costs eventually result in the colleges raising tuition, limiting employee benefits, cost of living adjustments, etc. and asking local residents to pay more in property taxes) (of course the University of Illinois may receive an increase in state funding should this be an issue for them)
Beware that a leader in advocating for this proposal, Robert Easter, President of University of Illinois, is a member of the Civic Committee. (good for the Civic Committee, what about everyone else?)
Beware, one of the “gang of ten” asked the proposal presenters if this might not be a model that could implemented for TRS.
Beware, any proposal that does also include increasing state revenue will fail.