Comment: In other words, taxpayers will pay to induce teachers to get hired into the Tier 2 pension system which forces them to pay more than their own way and subsidize the cost for lavish Tier 1 pensions that the state isn’t adequately funding.

AFSCME Council 31 lost about 6,000 fee-payers but added 1,100 full members. Other public sector unions in Illinois reportedly fared about the same.

By continuing practices such as automatic raises and taxpayer-subsidized platinum health insurance, along with a new $2,500 bonus, the AFSCME contract will transfer more than $3.6 billion in additional compensation from taxpayers to state workers.

Where does that leave the taxpayer? It’s most likely a division of opinion that includes disgust, apathy and resignation. One thing, however, seems certain — this problem is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better, assuming that it ever gets better.