My friend and blogger John Dillon gets it right. As usual.
In Illinois, nothing but uncertainty, anxiety and distrust. For hundreds of thousands of people working and retired.You say it’s not a crisis, Senator, and I quite honestly would agree. It is a debt and revenue problem, one caused by the diversion of required contributions by the General Assembly for other perks and programs. But that’s not the direction you or your colleagues in the General Assembly will take. Now, business wants that tax roll back, and you at least see how it is on the backs of those that paid in. Thanks for that.But your feeling sorry or being honest does not clean your hands, Senator. As Newman said in Cool Hand Luke, “That don’t make it right, Boss.”Thanks for being honest, Senator Cullerton, but that don’t make it right.
As the Illinois General Assembly meets this week and for three days in November, what is Democratic Senator John Cullerton up to?
His comment about there being no pension crisis was no slip of the tongue.
Is it an attempt to resurrect his and We Are One’s SB2404? He must know it will not pass the House. Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan won’t bring it to a vote.
He knows his comments will guarantee that nothing the Democrats support will now get a single Republican vote.
He knows that without a Republican vote, Madigan will not bring anything to the floor.
His comments kill a pension bill in this session. And probably in January when it will be too close to an election.
What’s Cullerton’s end game?
Are we and the taxpayers of Illinois nothing more than pawns in a power play between the Senate President and the Speaker of the House?
Fred Klonsky 
Probably. We just have to hope the “game” does not extend to the Supreme Court of Illinois.
I listened to every word of the interview….it sure started my Sunday. Rick Pearson from WGN was put back on his heels, I think.. It is not the pensions fault but they are the poor,dumb,silent,devoted workers that do not have a squeaky wheel as loud as Big Business! Keep up the good work,we are grateful!!!
Sent from my iPad Mca
Dollars to doughnuts, the game plan is that nothing will happen until after next year’s election. Next month current legislators up for re-election must notify the board of elections of their intent to run or not. Those legislators who are going to run for re-election aren’t going to ruffle retirees’ feathers by voting in favor of reducing retirees’ pensions, especially since retirees’ consistently cast their votes and our votes might adversely affect election results. The big question is will the vote be cast before the newbies take office in January or after. If it’s before January, those legislators who weren’t re-elected or chose not to run have no skin in the game and have nothing to lose. On the other hand, the newbies are easily controlled and influenced by the powers to be so it may be easier to manipulate voting results. Regardless when after next year’s election pension “reform” occurs, the fight is not over. Just wait until 2018 when we have to vote again on whether or not to open up the state’s constitution for review.