Can Illinois Survive?

[ptatc]

Well, he’s 75. Having Madigan in as the speaker is one factor, but the Illinois constitution also restricts doing anything as well. Hopefully that can get amended and there’s a way to ensure new employees, current employees and retirees of the teacher’s retirement system can get some sort of retirement benefit, but with age cutbacks and with a greater emphasis on 403(b)s while still contributing to the pension system.

They already have this option inside the pension system and external to the pension system. The option in the pension system is the "self-managed" plan as opposed to the"traditional" plan.

[Jerksticks]

I don’t think a cushy retirement is a right that all Americans should have. I subscribe more to every family has a right to acquire as many dollars as they want. If you choose to do something that doesn’t gather many dollars then someone else in your family should gather dollars as well.

 

We all have the right to pursue happiness, but not the right to happiness. Anything else leads to budget crises time and again.

 

Probably too far gone to ever get back on track so it is what it is now.

[ptatc]

I don’t think a cushy retirement is a right that all Americans should have. I subscribe more to every family has a right to acquire as many dollars as they want. If you choose to do something that doesn’t gather many dollars then someone else in your family should gather dollars as well.

 

We all have the right to pursue happiness, but not the right to happiness. Anything else leads to budget crises time and again.

 

Probably too far gone to ever get back on track so it is what it is now.

The state pension system crisis isn't caused by a cushy retirement. State employees pay their social security money (+ some in our case, we pay 9% of our salary) into the pension fund and the state pays a set amount as well. This amount can't exceed 80% of your best 4 years of income. The issue is that the state went over 15 years of not paying their part. That's the whole issue. If the state kept up their share each year, the pension debt would be 0. They just decided over the years that the money should go elsewhere.

 

This is true everywhere in the state except the City of Chicago. Back in the 90's the city agreed to pay the teacher's portion as well so they don't pay into their pension.

[StrangeSox]

It's probably worth pointing out that Illinois already faces a teacher shortage, and gutting pay and protections and labor rights certainly wouldn't help fix that problem. It hasn't hit the Chicago area quite as hard, but districts across the rest of the state are struggling to fill open positions.

[ptatc]

It's probably worth pointing out that Illinois already faces a teacher shortage, and gutting pay and protections and labor rights certainly wouldn't help fix that problem. It hasn't hit the Chicago area quite as hard, but districts across the rest of the state are struggling to fill open positions.

The 2011 tier 2 pension and the newly created (from the latest budget) Tier 3 pension has really decreased interest in Illinois teaching. Chicago doesn't have the issue as they don't pay into the pension system and they also have an average higher salary than most other districts.

[Harry Chappas]

I can't figure out education in Illinois. Pensions in and around Chicago are insane. I am not certain about the rest of the state

 

You have administrators sitting at home at 60 bringing in $200K annually.

 

The unions I despise are the white collar/office worker unions. I understand that iron workers/construction etc need unions to survive but I ma not certain why the 65 year old woman sleeping at he DMV needs a union and is guaranteed a pension.

 

I had a relative that worked a bulls*** desk job for the county for 8 years and retired at 65 with 60% of his pension.

[ptatc]

National report shows inequity in Illinois� education funding system deeper than previously known: Report updates widely circulated data on educational inequity

The issue is that Illinois is one of the last states, I believe there are only 2 others, who use local taxes to fund schools. This creates an inherent inequity because wealthier districts will of course have more money. Most states collect all of the taxes and distribute the money from the one pool.

[The Beast]

So... busy month in politics

So...Ives didn’t win, thank God. Rauner looks vulnerable to Pritzker which isn’t the best thing in the world. The candidate in my district, the 6th congressional district, Sean Casten, won the democratic primary and is trying to unseat Peter Roskam. It would be sweet if he could pick Roskam’s seat off after Roskam did not hold town halls for constituents (phone town halls only), wanted to repeal and replace the ACA and voted for the tax cut. Hopefully Casten gets enough support to beat him.

[StrangeSox]

Don't know how reliable this pollster is, but this is the first IL Gov poll I've seen since the primaries

 

 

[StrangeSox]

 

 

[StrangeSox]

Chicago sending thousands of poor, mostly black people into bankruptcy over city sticker tickets. They thought they could raise about $16m in revenue, which of course never happened, but these peoples' lives are being severely negatively impacted instead.

 

 

[Jerksticks]

38 minutes ago, StrangeSox said:

Chicago sending thousands of poor, mostly black people into bankruptcy over city sticker tickets. They thought they could raise about $16m in revenue, which of course never happened, but these peoples' lives are being severely negatively impacted instead.

 

 

That’s absolutely ridiculous and here I never thought I’d ever agree with anything political you post StrangeSox. ?

Why does it feel like chicago is the blueprint for doing almost everything wrong?

[Iwritecode]

This could have easily been posted in the "white privilege" thread as well. For those that don't think it exists...

[caulfield12]

Anne Hathaway to the rescue?