Public Blames Politicians
- Illinois voters overwhelmingly blame politicians for creating the state's public employee pension mess, but like elected officials, they're divided about plans to fix the problem, a new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows.
The survey also found that Downstate and suburban residents oppose a major push by Democrats including Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Pat Quinn to gradually shift the costs of teacher retirement benefits on to local school districts outside Chicago.
The issue of public employee pensions is a significant one for Illinois as well as for Chicago and the suburbs. The state has the largest unfunded pension liability in the nation, at least $83 billion. The practical effect: Ratings agencies downgraded the state's creditworthiness because of lawmakers' failure to address the problem, including a do-nothing special legislative session in August. It could cost the state more to borrow money.
If Illinois was a low-tax, business friendly state, a broader tax base would enable gradual reformation and a less painful bite at existing tax revenues. Of course, expecting Illinois politicians to make choices to cut entitlement programs and take a smaller slice of the corruption pie for a decade or two might be too much to ask.
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
42 Comments:
$83 billion in what amounts to stolen pension benefits is lot of eff-ing money.
They try to demonize this using the word "entitlements" like it's a dirty word. As if the people entitled to the benefits are lazy and want something for nothing. Politicians shift and deflect the problem and play the victims. We are trying to save you..ha-ha.. How much of a cut can they get away with? Any cut results in forgiving them of the crime.
Meanwhile the exact same game is being played with the current Chicago budget. The proposed budget depends on an improving economy and the reason pension benefits were skipped in the pass is because false assumptions were made about the economy and on how much the pensions would earn from investments.
Take note of all your lame duck legislators in Springfield during this General Assembly, and pay attention to how they vote. Better yet find out where they land after they're out of office!
"Of course, expecting Illinois politicians to make choices to cut entitlement programs and take a smaller slice of the corruption pie for a decade or two might be too much to ask."
attrition via the above article's subject matter may contribute to the solution of this problem.
Chalkie
There's nothing I can do except move far from this shit-hole corrupt state in 4 more years.
Not sure how this is good news. The Public are idiots for voting for crooks that run our city/state/country.
So the Public's opinion on who to blame is meaningless.
Let's think outside the box. Can we sell the first 20 miles south of the border to Wisconsin for what...500 billion...to the State of Wisconsin?....Problem solved! Maybe Indiana wants some more lake front....Problem solved with a profit. Oh, and let's not forget Iowa and Missouri...Problem solved! Why can't we sell real estate from state to state? Why not create a nation of 100 states if it solves this political-proto-crypto-crisis?
While the City's fifty alderman point to the State to address funding the pension shortages, why don't they vote to do away with the annual ONE MILLION DOLLAR discretionary fund they are provided each year to address the needs/desires of their constituents and instead put that $50 million toward the City's pensions? I'm sure their constituents would prefer foregoing flower boxes (sarcasm)over doling out huge property tax increases.
What do I know, I'm just a cop.
Rahm , the $18M man
I just love saying that
HURRAY FOR RAHM!
Anonymous said...
Let's think outside the box. Can we sell
----
If you were truly 'thinking outside the box' you would NOT use such an over-used expression like "outside the box'
politician should loose their pensions first and their perks..
pension changes equals residency changes!
Remember, 32% of the public blamed BOTH politicians and employees. Get ready for a big war regarding pension benefits in January 2013.
All talk, no action. The voting public will still vote the same incompitent asholes in.
They land on the board of some corporation or at some "connected" law firm.
Who has been ever-present since 1971?
Maybe it's time for him to show his real strengths and straighten up what he has allowed to happen?
remember it's the Illinois democRATS that have raised state income tax 2% , property tax , price of state license plates , city stickers , increase in water bills and now want to take away Pension benefits . You can bet if obama is reelected city employees will be put into obama care plan.
The public should also blame all the exempts at HQ because they are nothing but politicians.
They would rather cut our pension than cut entitlements, take that to the bank
Another bad part is during the lame duck session, all the politicians that were voted out,dont have to care about their constituants and will vote any way they want, usually with Rahm,Madigan or Quinn with a promised state or city job
Yet, ring leader Mike Madigan will be elected over and over again until he decides to retire.
The liar, thief, con man, whore banger, fake mental patient, absentee politician, husband of an absentee politician, entitled little kid Jessie Jackass Jr. will be elected over and over.
Some Southsiders are idiots.
Rahm Emanuel and his budget:
How's that economic growth coming Rahmmy?
------------------------------
Emanuel Budget Banks On a Brighter Economy | NBC Chicago
www.nbcchicago.com/.../Emanuel-Budget-Banking-On-Better-Econo...
6 days ago – Mayor Rahm Emanuel will unveil his 2013 budget Wednesday ... The mayor also is banking on more revenue from an improving economy.
MEANWHILE IN TODAY'S NEWS:
Grainger Misses, Lowers Outlook On Sluggish Economy
Investor's Business Daily-3 hours ago
W.W. Grainger (GWW) reported third-quarter earnings below estimates Tuesday and cut its outlook on the sluggish global economy.
Grainger Q3 Profit Down 15%; Lowers Revenue Outlook NASDAQ
AND A FEW DAYS AGO...
FedEx Corp. (FDX) Lowers Outlook on Sluggish Economic ...
eStocksDaily-Sep 18, 2012
FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) stated that its estimated 2Q profit of $1.30 to $1.45 per share would be lower than Wall Street's 2Q profit objective of ...
FedEx Q1 Profit Edges Down, Slashes 2013 Outlook; Hikes ... NASDAQ
Wall Street ends lower as economic outlook weighs
Economic Times-Sep 24, 2012
Wall Street ends lower as economic outlook weighs ... from Caterpillar and weak German data increased concerns that global growth may remain sluggish.
Italy's growth outlook still dismal
gulfnews.com-Sep 20, 2012
Italy's growth outlook still dismal ... ruinous default but the growth potential of Europe's most sluggish economy is as weak as ever
The list goes on and on...
This is one eff'd up state.
The mayor is off on seemingly non-stop corporate fund raising missions. The Gov. goes on trade missions to places like Brazil and is greeted by hateful trade unions.
We have a congressmen that hasn't been to work in over five months and who even knows if and when he plans to ever go back to work and we have an alderman that doesn't even live here. Both will probably be re-elected too.
Nice representation Chicago!!
Just imagine if people dug a little deeper what they might find!
tick tock tick tock........401k
Social Security Cost of Living Raise for 2013 -- The increase is a decrease!
The cost of living increase is not even going to match actual inflation rates. So it's a cut in income. You get a tiny bit more money and it buys less stuff not the same level of stuff,
Pay attention my friends. These are the same games that will be played with union COLA pay wage increases and retirement benefits.
The government makes the numbers up to whatever they want by changing the formula at will.
One widely used index uses the prices on a basket of goods to determine inflation rates and therefore the cost of living changes.
However the logic states that if the cost of steak increases and becomes too expense people will shift to pork and if pork becomes too expensive they will shift to fish and fish well they'll just shift to chicken. So see that! No steak for you and your cost of living hasn't increased at all. That's how it works.
We're shifting to eating dirt next.
Compound this CPI cost of living COLA manipulation over a few years and soon you're talking really big bucks.
Anonymous said...
Let's think outside the box. Can we sell the first 20 miles south of the border to Wisconsin for what...500 billion...to the State of Wisconsin?....Problem solved! Maybe Indiana wants some more lake front....Problem solved with a profit. Oh, and let's not forget Iowa and Missouri...Problem solved! Why can't we sell real estate from state to state? Why not create a nation of 100 states if it solves this political-proto-crypto-crisis?
10/16/2012 03:00:00 AM
--------------------------------------
Oh we'll be doing more of this soon. But not with other states.
The land will be confiscated and sold to China or some other Asian nation for them to put up toxic waste sweat-shop factories that makes I-phones and we will be told that it's necessary for the common good.
You're all familiar with the "eminent domain" laws right?
Versions of the Illinois selling out are already popping up. The Skyway anyone?
That's what happens when you can't pay your bills. Your creditors get to come in and pick and choose what assets you have and that they want to settle your debts.
The US Supreme Court has declared corporations as people and therefore they can donate as much money as they like to political campaigns too. You just try and stop it.
We've already been sold out. How many US corporations have major foreign owners of their stock? You think they will not use the USA CEO's as figureheads to buy Washington, buy laws that represent their interest?!
There's your freedoms. Freedoms of trade that we are preached to not mess with.
When we can't pay our foreign trade bills I suggest we start by selling China the Daley Center, and Maggie Daley Park. It could be renamed to The Red Square or something.
The CEO's of those Chinese companies that move into the Daley center can then use the CEO's to lobby the mayor, the governor, the president for lower EPA laws and we can bring back the toxic coal power plants.
Daley Center would be idea for China since it has such a close proximity to Lake Michigan and that can be used as a toxic waste dump for so many of the chemicals that are used in electronic manufacturing.
Do you like how Rahm Emanuel kicks the can down the road when it comes to the city budget?
Oh it's so clever that we're not suppose to notice.
The budget is based upon an improving economy that is unlikely to occur. However, "the can" has been kicked far enough down the road that this fact will not be uncovered until AFTER the elections at which time Rahm can play the victim and do a hatchet job on wages and pensions and increase taxes across the board.
Don't you see. Why it's not Rahm's fault. The budget was based on an improving economy and business didn't deliver one. No-one could of possibly predicted the economic weakness to continue. How can you blame him when nobody could predict what has happened.. ha-ha.. Rahm has presented a modern day masterpiece of art in order to delay the upcoming cuts and taxes until after the elections.
Only problem is that we're seeing one company after another, many of them Illinois companies too, lowering their economic forecast for 2013.
Consumer spending is said to represent about 70% of the economy.
There's 60 million people on social security and they are not even getting a cost of living increase in benefits that matches the rate of inflation. What do you suppose will happen to their disposable income?
Those retirees won't be buying more. Wages adjusted for inflation is falling at a 6% clip. Where's all this recovery money going to come from? People can't borrow from their home equity the banks have stolen that. People with job losses can't expand their credit the banks won't give it too them. People that have filed for bankruptcy are black listed from any good paying job and are barred from credit too.
Unless we start doing the equiv. of liar loans again like we've started to do to boost auto sales I don't see any improving economy. The auto loan crap is being done to make the presidents bailouts appear to be a genius move but in reality it's just another bubble like the housing bubble.
Yeah Rahm. We're not buying your budget tricks. Watch what happens after elections.
Thank God the public sees through the BS put out there by Rahm and his cronies
Of course the public realizes that the politicians are responsible for the pension shortfall.
Of course these same people will again vote them back into office.
Pay attention to how the feelings changed when the question was asked about if they wanted the towns or downstate cities to fund their own board of education like the city does. The numbers really changed with that question and I still dont understand why our CPS is funded by our property taxes(a little over 50% of the tax billmay I add, when all the other school districts are funded by state taxes, not local property taxes You would think that is unconstitutional
Hmmm...
Irony?
We notice much MORE verbal expression of dissatisfaction and disgust with Rahm al Ghoul amongst the sheeple of Chicago...
Everything was hunky-dory & jokey-funny when Rahm was running on how hard and fast he was going to fuck Coppers out of everything they worked for...
*Vote for me! I'll fuck those Cops out of everything they got*
The sheeple said: "HOORAY!"
Thus the Emanuel levers were pulled... And pretty fucking hard too.
Heh...
The sheeple NOW say: "HEEEYYYY! THIS AIN'T HOW YOU SAID IT WAS GONNA GO! THAT HURTS RAHM! You said you were only gonna do that to those Cops! OWWWW! WAHHHHH! STOP IT!"
Now that Rahm al Ghoul is laughing down his dick at EVERYBODY including the sheeple. We don't seem to be hearing as much smug shit-talk from muthafuckahs who were so giddy at the prospect of seeing The Police marched back to the 19th Century in pay and benefits.
As The Police go...
So goes this city...
Everything that is happening is just desserts... Wishes coming true in spades and what the citizens of this city chose to put on the crooked wheel of karma.
The Police are the enemy...
Even though they didn't break "it."
"It" has been allowed to decay far beyond their ability to salvage, fix or repair.
Even if they could fix "it," the public would demand they have one hand tied behind their backs to keep the playing field "level."
As far as the politicians go in the current stae of affairs?
They're desperately trying to run away from the mess they created...
Destroying our pension IS destroying a crime scene!
Every made and affiliate member of Daley Inc. and Rahm & Co. should swing from the gallows.
Anything less is BULLSHIT and these dirty mother fucks know it.
Miriam Santos (remember her?) was right to blow the whistle and toss a flag on these asshole helping themselves to our pension money.
It's the fault of those "greedy Coppers..." They caused the financial melt-down of this city and state. Right?
>Pffffft!<
Fun and games as long as it's only supposed to be Coppers and THEIR families being threatened with INTENTIONAL financial harm.
Right?
*Crickets*
Heh... The joyful haters are salivating.
SCC,CapitolFax.com today has a listing that Lori Lightfoot is on the short list that Durbin and Kirk are using for Fitzgerald's replacement. I don't know anything about her. Good idea or not?
This was written by a 21 yr old female who gets it. It's her future she's worried about and this is how she feels about the social welfare big government state that she's being forced to live in! These solutions are just common sense in her opinion.
This was in the Waco Tribune Herald, Waco , TX , Nov 18, 2011
PUT ME IN CHARGE . . .
Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.
Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal legations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, or smoke, then get a job.
Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place.
In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the "common good.."
Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.
If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.
AND While you are on Gov't subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes, that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov't welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.
Now, if you have the guts - PASS IT ON...I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET THIS BACK, IF EVERYONE SENDS IT, I WILL GET OVER 220 BACK!!! I WOULD KNOW YOU SENT IT ON!!!
-- 'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.'- Ronald Reagan
Anonymous said...
Pay attention to how the feelings changed when the question was asked about if they wanted the towns or downstate cities to fund their own board of education like the city does. The numbers really changed with that question and I still dont understand why our CPS is funded by our property taxes(a little over 50% of the tax billmay I add, when all the other school districts are funded by state taxes, not local property taxes You would think that is unconstitutional
I think you may have the facts wrong. Chicago get a ton of State money for its schools.
The suburbs pay for their own schools. (on average 67% of property tax)
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-25/news/ct-oped-0725-zorn-20120725_1_school-districts-pension-reform-special-education
How about this for a solution : Put the fucking money in the pensions. They failed to pay the pensions for years. It will take years to pay it back. Rahm is fear mongering saying that property tax will double, sure if you put it all in at once. There is no need too. just some additional funds every year. He has money for bike lanes, parks to be renamed after dead wives and updating O'Hare terminals. He has pension money the problem is that he does not want to pay the pensions what is owed.
The public can blame the politicians all they want. As long as the keep voting them into office they have nothing to cry about.
12;51 your figures are wrong ,u r talking about special educaton here is an excert from an article and i will list the link
In Chicago, the Chicago Public Schools funds its teacher pensions without help from the state based on money it collects from taxes on Chicago property owners.
That means the average property owner in Chicago pays $164 a year, according to estimates by the Chicago Public Schools.
That means Chicago residents pay twice — once to the state for suburban and downstate teachers and once to the city for Chicago teachers.
Suburban and downstate residents pay only once.
As Madigan and State Senate President John Cullerton have sought to fix that inequity, they have run into opposition from suburban and downstate legislators who fear that forcing suburban school districts to start paying their share would force them to raise property taxes on downstate and suburban residents.
Madigan, Cullerton and Quinn have responded with proposals to phase the cost shift in over 10-12 years. They argue many of the school districts have more than enough in reserves that they would not have to raise property taxes
http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/13352981-418/madigan-downstate-suburbs-need-to-pay-up.html
If you think 0523 is wrong read this article
http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/13352981-418/madigan-downstate-suburbs-need-to-pay-up.html
Currently teachers pay about 9.4 percent of their salaries into the Teachers Retirement System, which the state matches, with districts paying less than 1 percent
The institute's report comes after Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn voiced support for making school districts pay for more of teachers' pensions.
The report says that local school districts should take over the state’s share of teachers pension funding.
"Today, every unit of government — from municipalities, to park districts, to Chicago Public Schools and state government — is responsible for paying the 'employer share' of pension costs,” said John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute. “Only in K-12 education outside of Chicago is this not done."
As stated earlier outside of Chicago it is not done Thats whats causing the pension crisis
"tick tock tick tock........401k"
This might not be such a bad idea, IF the current department members maintain the pension that they came on with.
New hires, those hired AFTER this debacle gets settled, would be under the 401k plan.
Don't forget, the pension was one of the benefits of this job, particularly when it paid next to nothing. It was designed to lure good people to this line of work.
The quality of people coming on the job has already diminished. Wait until you see what happens after this takes effect.
rb
sell 3,4, & 5 to indiana
make 7 a garbage dump
crime will go down 25 %
"Let's think outside the box. Can we sell the first 20 miles south of the border to Wisconsin for what...500 billion...to the State of Wisconsin?....Problem solved! Maybe Indiana wants some more lake front....Problem solved with a profit. Oh, and let's not forget Iowa and Missouri...Problem solved!"
Indiana & Wisconsin will only want the lakefront. Iowa & Missouri aren't interested.
Cutting Cook county loose from the rest of the state (as proposed by downstate lawmakers) would save most of Illinois...once Quinn is gone.
rb
Why don't we city employees take a collection and buy a one page ad in the Tribune and Times explaining the constitutional amendment 49 on the election ballast and urge everyone to vote No. Right now this seems to be a big secret .
"Why don't we city employees take a collection and buy a one page ad in the Tribune and Times explaining the constitutional amendment 49..."
Great idea! Thanks for spearheading this effort!
Where should we send the money?
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