Yesterday protesters set up Raunerville in front of Governor Rauner’s lake front condo.
Headline in the Chicago Tribune: Rauner sticks to his pension approach despite questions about legality.
As if the Supreme Court of Illinois had nothing to say last Friday.
But don’t for a minute think the Democrats read the scathing unanimous decision by seven members of the state’s highest court.
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton is dusting off his old bait and switch proposal in which state employees are offered the forced-choice consideration of keeping a little of what we have in exchange for something we won’t get.
Meanwhile the state’s financial crises worsen and the pension liability continues to grow and cost of the state borrowing continues to escalate. And who makes out like bandits?
The banker friends of Rauner.
After all, there are winners and losers in this game.
Reports the ChiTrib:
Gov. Bruce Rauner is sticking to his plan to reduce retirement benefits for government workers, even after a recent Illinois Supreme Court ruling severely limited options for cutting state pension costs, administration officials said Wednesday.
Even the viciously anti-pension Chi-Trib pointed out the obvious:
In the unanimous ruling, justices also made clear that pension benefits promised to a public worker on the first day of employment cannot be reduced later. That distinction appeared to blow a hole in Rauner’s plan.
Meanwhile, from Democrat Cullerton:
The idea is aimed at working around the constitution’s pension protection clause using a theory in contact law called “consideration” — meaning benefits can be scaled back, but only if workers agree to the changes and are given something in return.
And what is Cullerton offering as consideration?
Employees would get to choose between pay raises we already get or pension COLA?
Even Lisa Madigan would have a hard time defending that before the seven members of the Supreme Court.
And Speaker Madigan?
“You know, I think what we ought to do going forward is to consider all of the different ideas on pensions,” Madigan said. “So, Cullerton has an idea, the governor has an idea, and there are others.”
I have to give the old man credit.
He can say that stuff with a straight face.
Fred Klonsky 
The problem with this protest is, how in the hell do you know which home hes in. After all, the every day kind of guy that wears a timex watch has 9 of them plus the mansion.
I just love how both 9house and 9fingers are above the laws. When your king i guess they dont pertain to you. At what point do the citizens get fed up with both of these clowns and demand some sort of legal actionss to force them to do their jobs that they took an oath to do. Oops, oath…im sorry kings dont have to follow those either.
These people run in circles that you and I never do. They live in their own bubble. Out of sight, out of mind.
From “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” — Peasant #1: “How do you know he’s king?” Peasant #2: “He hasn’t got s**t all over him.”
Or Mel Brooks in “History of the World Part I” — “It’s good to be the king!”
Spoiled rich kids have never been told NO. This is outside their personal experience.
interesting how everyone acts as if tax increases are barred by the constitution
The Supreme Court did NOT say that benefits could be scaled back with consideration. The opinion specifically states that only “additional benefits” may be provided in return for consideration.
Has “Nekritz-Biss & Associates, The Pension Theft Experts”, weighed on the latest pension theft bills? Somewhere I read even they don’t think Rauner can get away with his proposed cuts. Time for them to step forward and propose some new revenue, that does not attack retirees. Returning the income tax to 5% would be a good start.