* House GOP Leader Tom Cross pretty much just guaranteed himself a big headline in the Tribune tomorrow. From a press release…

In response to a series of news reports in the Chicago Tribune on WGN-TV this week, uncovering huge pension hikes under the guise of public service, House Republican Leader Tom Cross will file a bill today that will end this practice in the future. […]

In 1991, as part of an omnibus pension bill, Chicago city workers were given the ability to leave their city job, go work for their labor union at a much higher salary and continue paying into their city pension at the same rate as they did when they were at the city. However, when they retire, they are collecting their pension at a much higher rate.

For example, a Chicago city worker making $40,000 could leave his or her city job and go work for a labor union at a $100,000. Under current state law, the former city worker could continue paying into the city pension according to his or her salary when he or she left—but upon retirement; the pension benefit will be figured according to the non-government $100,000 salary. […]

The Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV estimates that due to this perk 23 retired high level union officials stand to make a combined total of about $56 million from their public pension. Taxpayers will be forced to pay the majority of this bill as it was never adequately paid for.

According to the Civic Committee, the City of Chicago Municipal and Laborer’s Pension Funds will be depleted of their assets within 20 years.

“We are also further researching the possibility of legislation that fraudulent activity dealing with pension eligibility is properly enforced. This practice is already illegal under Illinois statute and my office is looking to ensure that any violators of this provision are properly punished for their actions,” said Cross.

*** UPDATE *** Statement from Jorge Ramirez, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor…

The Chicago Federation of Labor takes very seriously any situation that undermines the stability of public pension funds. Public pensions provide a safety net that allows public servants like nurses, fire fighters, teachers and others to retire with dignity after years of service. In Illinois, the average retired public employee collects a modest pension of just $32,000, and 80 percent of them do not get Social Security.

The individual cases described by the Chicago Tribune and WGN are not the cause of the state’s pension crisis. However, at a time when public employees and their benefits are under attack by those who want to strip away their retirement security, we should work to protect the integrity of the pension system.

The Chicago Federation of Labor and the entire labor movement continue to fight to protect the retirement security of our state, city and county workers. We will work with lawmakers to collectively address this issue and to further strengthen the retirement security for public employees and all working people.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* This opposition to some long overdue work on the Statehouse doesn’t make a whole lot of sense…

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform says when the state is having trouble paying its bills, renovating the entire capitol instead of fixing just what is necessary sends the wrong message.

“Jobs could be saved, jobs could be created with this amount of money,” said Brian Gladstein of the Campaign for Political Reform. “If there’s a question about there about money being used to fix up their own house and not fix up the state, I think that people should be asking questions.”

“Why now? Is this what we need at this moment?” said Gladstein.

Um, Brian, unless they’re using magical faeries to do all the work (and I highly doubt it) jobs will be saved and created with this quite large construction project.

* Remember when the New York Times “reported” this weirdness the other day?…

Facing a budget deficit exceeding $11 billion, the State of Illinois in recent weeks has begun challenging the property tax exemptions of some of its best-known hospitals, saying they should pay more because they are not providing enough charity care.

We’ve already talked about why this was such a bogus lede. And now, the state is taking a pause from the pursuit…

A spokesman for the Illinois Hospital Association says the group is looking forward to working with Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration and other parties on a legislative solution on tax exemptions for nonprofit hospitals.

Quinn is directing state officials to pause their tougher rulings of which nonprofit hospitals get property tax exemptions.

Last month, the Illinois Department of Revenue denied tax exemptions to three hospitals. That signaled the state would get tough on hospitals it believes are operating more like businesses than charities.

Quinn’s move is intended to create breathing room during talks on new legislation that would clearly define how much charity care hospitals need to do to qualify for tax-exempt status.

In case you’re wondering, the IHA contributed $200K to Quinn last year.

* Cicero Town President Larry Dominick got whacked pretty hard this week in the Sun-Times…

How can you engage in a sex act without touching?

Cicero Town President Larry Dominick just may have the answer.

In a deposition in a court case in March 2009, Dominick was asked if he had ever touched Sharon Starzyk, the woman who ran the town’s animal shelter.

“No,” Dominick replied under oath.

In a deposition in a separate court case in February this year, though, Dominick testified under oath he would visit Starzyk’s home starting in 2005 when he was town president and “play with her dog and eat there and once in a while whatever came up sexually.”

* Dominick’s response…

The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper is determined to go down in history as one of the most irresponsible, unprofessional and politically vicious publications in journalism.

In its political campaign to libel Cicero Town President Larry Dominick, and assist the campaigns of his political enemies, the Sun-Times has taken one sentence out of obvious context and turned it into one of the most ridiculous “scandals” ever published.

The story is maliciously headlined “Cicero’s Dominick swore he didn’t touch town worker - but had sex with her,” (Wednesday, Sept. 21). To justify this outrageous lie, the Sun-Times took six words on Page 193 of a 2009 depositio n that consists of 363 pages and 77,666 words and intentionally distorts it’s obvious meaning into malicious yellow journalism.

In the prior 192 pages, President Dominick was asked repeatedly if he sexually harassed employees and he repeatedly denied each and every false accusation. There is not one piece of evidence, not one corroborating witness, not one text message and not one record to back up the spurious claims that he sexually harassed Sharon Starzyk, a person with whom he once had a relationship but broke up with and later married his wife. The context of the discussion and question is clear.

Yet the Sun-Times ignored that context to distort the meaning of the question, “Did you ever touch Sharon Starzyk?” The context is not of touching but sexually harassing someone. He said “No.”

Sharon Starzyk is a serial litigator. She filed numerous lawsuits and criminal complaints against many people outside of her work at the Town of Cicero, including alleging sexual harassment. That is what she does.

Harsh.