Senator Iris Martinez voted for #pension theft but says she was against it. Representative Berrios voted against #pension theft but was for it. Bizarro World!

The other day my State Senator Iris Martinez wrote me a letter explaining her vote for #pension theft.

Martinez believes the bill is unconstitutional and unfair to pension system members. But she decided to voted for it so that it could be ruled unconstitutional.

Get it?

Me neither.

This was topped by the letter I received from my State Representative Toni Berrios.

Berrios has been in office a dozen years as a gift from her daddy, the Chairman of the Cook County Democrats. Joe “Big Daddy” Berrios is also County Assessor. An office holder under federal scrutiny for never having been known to turn down a bribe once it is offered.

Berrios almost lost her seat to progressive challenger Will Guzzardi when he took her on two years ago.

Last May, Berrios voted in favor of #pension theft when it was the first Senate Bill 1.

Last week she voted against it.

Why?

Fred,

Thank you for contacting me about the recent vote on public-sector pension reform.  Your voice helped to guide my vote against Senate Bill 1’s Conference Committee Report which, regrettably, passed the House.

My primary reason for voting against the Conference Committee report was that it was not crafted in a negotiated and transparent process.  All stakeholders were not at the table to negotiate a fair and equitable deal that protects current and future retirees. Throughout the past couple of months, I have maintained that we must protect those who have diligently paid into their retirements, and I believe this proposal fell short of that goal.

Thank you for taking the time to contact me and express your concerns. I share them and do not take them lightly. No matter what, I will continue to work every day in the best interests of the people of our community.

– Maria “Toni” Berrios

She voted no because it wasn’t crafted well?  

Holy crap. So if it were just written a little better, Berrios would have had no trouble violating the constitution? Of cutting retiree benefits?

Hey, Toni. Nobody from the unions was at the table to negotiate the deal when you voted for it last time. It wasn’t exactly a transparent process last time either.

You know what is transparent?

You were given permission by The Speaker to vote no to protect your ass in the primary against Will Guzzardi. Guzzardi has been nothing if not consistent in his defense of the constitution and public employee pensions.

That is what is transparent.