The Land of Lincoln has accrued a $111 billion unfunded liability for government workers’ pensions—up 75% from five years ago. There is an additional $56 billion of unfunded debt to cover health benefits for the state’s retirees. Illinois today is already spending more of its general fund on pensions than on K-12 education. One in four tax dollars pays for its retired workers’ benefits.

We're going broke.

Union made!

The State of Illinois is not known for doing anything right. There's no money in it.

The state that gave the country the disaster known as Obama is going broke? Surely a coincidence.

(12-10-2014 12:44 PM)EagleRockCafe Wrote:  The state that gave the country the disaster known as Obama is going broke? Surely a coincidence.

Those of us with interest in Illinois feel it is not so much a coincidence, but better was termed a “goat rodeo” or a “dumpster fire”. Perhaps even a “Hungarian cluster-cuddle," and in part better blamed on "Germanic magic beans" or some other voodoo.

But not, of course, anything the fault due decades of Democratic rule and general political incompetence from the DMV all the way to the Governor.

Just screw current public employees out of their pensions. Kansas is doing it. Ohio did it. That will balance the budget. Screw those guys.

(12-10-2014 12:55 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Just screw current public employees out of their pensions. Kansas is doing it. Ohio did it. That will balance the budget. Screw those guys.

Who else are we to dick over?

(12-10-2014 12:55 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Just screw current public employees out of their pensions. Kansas is doing it. Ohio did it. That will balance the budget. Screw those guys.

Ohio didn't screw the public employees out of their pensions. That is a falsehood and you know it. You're just p!ssed that you can't retire at 52, that you'll have to work till you are 57. Cry me a river.

Wisconsin did it the right way but leftists bitched about that too.

(12-10-2014 12:55 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Just keep current public employees from their stolen booty.

FIFY.

And I have no problem if public employees storm out and leave forever in protest. Solidarity!

(12-10-2014 12:55 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Just screw current public employees out of their pensions. Kansas is doing it. Ohio did it. That will balance the budget. Screw those guys.

The pensions were not negotiated in an arms length nor adversarial manner. Thus, the contracts should not be considered valid.

You shouldn't be negotiating with people who you helped get elected. Those elected officials are supposed to represent the taxpayers, not the labor unions.

"You're just p!ssed that you can't retire at 52, that you'll have to work till you are 57."

Wrong!!! You speak of what you do not know. I started teaching at 22. I could have retired at 52. 30 years in was what I signed up for. They pushed it back at the earliest I can retire is 60 at a significantly reduced rate. So not only have they stolen 8 years of retirement they have also reduced my compensation.

You guys cheer these thieving bastards! They stole from a group of people so they can cut taxes. if they did that for new hires I could see your point. They know what they are getting in to then at least. To do that to people who are already on the job for 20 years is outright theft. They should have reduced the politicians who voted to screw over the little guy pensions at the same rate.

(12-10-2014 01:37 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  "You're just p!ssed that you can't retire at 52, that you'll have to work till you are 57."

Wrong!!! You speak of what you do not know. I started teaching at 22. I could have retired at 52. 30 years in was what I signed up for. They pushed it back at the earliest I can retire is 60 at a significantly reduced rate. So not only have they stolen 8 years of retirement they have also reduced my compensation.

You guys cheer these thieving bastards! They stole from a group of people so they can cut taxes. if they did that for new hires I could see your point. They know what they are getting in to then at least. To do that to people who are already on the job for 20 years is outright theft. They should have reduced the politicians who voted to screw over the little guy pensions at the same rate.

I didn't vote for the people that caused this problem, I will not be held accountable for their terrible decisions. The second our taxes go up to solve this problem, I'm heading north to WI. I hear it's nice up there.

(12-10-2014 12:23 PM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  The Land of Lincoln has accrued a $111 billion unfunded liability for government workers’ pensions—up 75% from five years ago. There is an additional $56 billion of unfunded debt to cover health benefits for the state’s retirees. Illinois today is already spending more of its general fund on pensions than on K-12 education. One in four tax dollars pays for its retired workers’ benefits.

We're going broke.

Uhhhh, no. You be broke!

But, by all means, keep raising taxes and chasing business out of the State to your neighbors. Solid plan so far!

(12-10-2014 01:37 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  "You're just p!ssed that you can't retire at 52, that you'll have to work till you are 57."

Wrong!!! You speak of what you do not know. I started teaching at 22. I could have retired at 52. 30 years in was what I signed up for. They pushed it back at the earliest I can retire is 60 at a significantly reduced rate. So not only have they stolen 8 years of retirement they have also reduced my compensation.

You guys cheer these thieving bastards! They stole from a group of people so they can cut taxes. if they did that for new hires I could see your point. They know what they are getting in to then at least. To do that to people who are already on the job for 20 years is outright theft. They should have reduced the politicians who voted to screw over the little guy pensions at the same rate.

So what happened? Wasn't the blessed Union there to protect against exactly this kind of thing? Sounds to me you just found out who's been doing the thieving for 30+ years!

And Psssst! It's not the guys currently trying to fix these messes decades in the making. Go to your local Hall and raise some hell there.

(12-10-2014 01:37 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  "You're just p!ssed that you can't retire at 52, that you'll have to work till you are 57."

Wrong!!! You speak of what you do not know. I started teaching at 22. I could have retired at 52. 30 years in was what I signed up for. They pushed it back at the earliest I can retire is 60 at a significantly reduced rate. So not only have they stolen 8 years of retirement they have also reduced my compensation.

obamacare reduced my total compensation.

Where's my sympathy?

(12-10-2014 01:37 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  "You're just p!ssed that you can't retire at 52, that you'll have to work till you are 57."

Wrong!!! You speak of what you do not know. I started teaching at 22. I could have retired at 52. 30 years in was what I signed up for. They pushed it back at the earliest I can retire is 60 at a significantly reduced rate. So not only have they stolen 8 years of retirement they have also reduced my compensation.

You guys cheer these thieving bastards! They stole from a group of people so they can cut taxes. if they did that for new hires I could see your point. They know what they are getting in to then at least. To do that to people who are already on the job for 20 years is outright theft. They should have reduced the politicians who voted to screw over the little guy pensions at the same rate.

Mach, aren't you in favor of expanding medicaid? Maybe they stole from that group of people so they can fund the portion of the expansion that the Feds won't.

10% of the cost of expanded medicaid in Illinois will EASILY top $167 billion over time.

My point isn't that there is some sort of direct correlation... merely to point out to those who 'fuss' about states that don't choose to expand medicaid need to be aware that they are making choices. Maybe they chose not to expand Medicaid so as to not HAVE to steal from teacher's pensions. Sure, raising taxes is another option, but if you can't raise taxes in pretty hard left leaning Illinois to pay for contractually obligated public employee pensions, there is something FAR more significant than 'party politics' at play.

gentleman,

They are not raising taxes. THEY ARE CUTTING TAXES!!!! They are balancing budgets after tax cuts by gutting pensions. It's wrong. It's deviant, but since it's not happening to you and the party that you support is doing it, it's fine. As I said earlier. If you did this to new hires, I could stomach it. They aren't cutting retirees benefits? Why? because that's their constituents. They are screwing over the people in the system who can't leave the system.

(12-10-2014 02:23 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  gentleman,

They are not raising taxes. THEY ARE CUTTING TAXES!!!!

My taxes are going up.

(12-10-2014 02:23 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  gentleman,

They are not raising taxes. THEY ARE CUTTING TAXES!!!! They are balancing budgets after tax cuts by gutting pensions. It's wrong. It's deviant, but since it's not happening to you and the party that you support is doing it, it's fine. As I said earlier. If you did this to new hires, I could stomach it. They aren't cutting retirees benefits? Why? because that's their constituents. They are screwing over the people in the system who can't leave the system.

So where's your Union to protect against this stuff?

do you get your money back from them? 20+ years is a long time to pay for something that doesn't do what they said it would...