(06-18-2017 08:14 AM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(06-16-2017 05:35 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  Many of my friends are retired Ohio teachers and retirees that have worked for the state of Ohio, they have sweet pensions that exceed anything I will ever see from Social Security.

I think that teachers and state employees should have retirement plans but they should not be richer than the retirement plans that the average taxpayer that is taxed to help fund their plans is eligible for.

This is nonsense because teachers contrbuted much more toward their retirement plans than the average taxpayer.

The unfunded pension liability is of course the #1 issue in the financial mess that Illinois now faces. Let's also be clear that BOTH parties are responsible. The first governor that raided state pension funds was Republican Big Jim Thompson. Successive governors of both parties saw the pension funds as "easy money" and continued to do this, exacerbating the problem. Of course, legislators of both parties were complicit in the raiding of the pension funds.

Well said, Bob.

Hundreds of dollars come out of every check I've earned since becoming a teacher 20 years ago to fund my TRS obligation. I'm doing and have always done my part to hold up my end of the deal. The other part of the equation has not. They've raided that fund that I'm paying into like it's a piggy bank.

I'm not rich and I'm never going to be rich. I knew that when I signed on. The deal the state made with me, though, was that I'd have a pension that would allow me to make ends meet in retirement.

Now, I'll go back to ignoring this board again. Those of you who like to talk offensive line know where to find me.