Ted Dabrowski joined Ray Stevens to discuss why Illinois’ pension debts are so huge – the nation’s worst, why the pandemic bailouts staved off the crisis for awhile, who the top-paid pensioners in Illinois are, why the state’s politicians are to blame, and more.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- This one graphic explains why Illinois is such a financial mess
- Chicago’s worst-in-nation pension crisis strikes again
- Illinois government’s $100K salary and pension club: 140,000 members and rising
- An Open Letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson on the forthcoming recommendations of his Pension Working Group
- Avoiding a conflict of interest: Nearly a third of Illinois lawmakers have rejected a taxpayer-funded pension
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Why should public employees get better benefits than private employees? It is not like their work is more demanding or important than private employees. The only reason their benefits and pensions are better is because of public sector unions financially supporting state legislators in order to get unreasonable benefits in their contracts. Public unions should be banned from donating to state legislators.
Legislators that don’t support funding pensions should be fired. Legislators that don’t raise taxes to a sufficient level of spending should be fired. Legislators that try to take earned pensions away from public employees should be fired…and if they even try it we will do everything in our power to make it happen.
Don’t you think that stating a public employee “earned” anything is a bit of a royal overstatement. I mean playing games on your cell phone is not really work. Stuping your fellow employee in the file room is not quite work. But you are correct. Illinoisans and Chicagoans should definitely pay much higher taxes. They voted for it and they should pay it. If they don’t like it, they should move. Otherwise shut up and pay up. Personally, I think Illinoisans should just give their whole check to the government just so your pension gets paid. After all, you “earned”… Read more »
Apparently “a” public employee has the same traits you ascribe to all public employee in your view. Basically, it’s totally weak logic. Person A likely is different in all sorts of traits from B, C, etc. One despicable person should not be considered to perfectly represent all people in the same general employment. Some people are stellar personalities and performers, some are one but not the other and some are neither. Please do your fellow man a favor and be more discriminating in your thoughts and especially so when you don’t know him well at all.
But they won’t. In fact, they were almost all re-elected with resounding majorities. No hope for you guys. Just a wonderful, fiery, dismembering crash.
Alternate headline: the legislators who don’t support pension reform can count on continued campaign cash and a steady job.
Meanwhile, zero pension debt Wisconsin dems have overturned the Walker pension reforms…what are they thinking?? (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/02/wisconsin-collective-bargaining-rights/)
Our union brothers and sisters fought hard to allow for equal rights when it comes to collective bargaining. We will demand fair contracts with every negotiation. No more silencing our right to bargain. Union Strong!
Garbage. Public Sector Unions are soon going the way of buggy whips. Extinct and in the trash.