* This AP brief is really misleading…
Republicans plan an Illinois State Fair rally that promises to be much calmer than the one held by Democrats.
Union protesters called Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn a liar and booed throughout his short speech Wednesday. They feel betrayed by his efforts to cancel raises, cut jobs and reduce retirement benefits.
Republicans don’t face the same type of internal conflicts. They’re largely united behind the idea of cutting costs and reducing pensions without shifting any of the expense to local school districts.
Republicans are not at all unified behind a single pension reform plan. Plenty of Republicans represent districts with large pockets of AFSCME members, more than a few represent college towns, and they all have lots of public school teacher voters.
They do seem united against the Democrats’ cost shifting plan, but even House GOP Leader Tom Cross said the other day that local school districts ought to pay for something…
Cross: School districts need to stop practice of giving raises at the end of careers. They need to absorb costs when they do that.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From a Pat Quinn press release…
“Today, as Illinois republicans rally at the State Fair, I urge them to rise to the occasion to pass comprehensive pension reform in Illinois.
“At the end of the spring session, republican leaders, who have long advocated for fiscal responsibility, supported a similar proposal that is now being sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz. To ease republican concerns, we have extended the phase-in period to allow school districts and universities to assume their own negotiated salary costs over 12 years. This extended phase-in period will ensure that school districts and universities are responsible for their compensation packages, while preventing property tax increases.
“The statutorily-required pension payments guaranteed under the 1995 ramp make it very clear: inaction on pension reform is the greatest threat to property taxpayers.
“This fiscal year, the General Assembly cut education by $210 million. These cuts impact our students, while placing tremendous pressure on our school districts, universities and property taxpayers.
“Universities have indicated, in a public letter, that they support the Nekritz proposal and are willing to accept the phased-in cost realignment.
“Without comprehensive pension reform, Illinois is on track to spend more on pensions than education by fiscal year 2016. This is an unsustainable path that will not only shortchange our children when it comes to quality education, but also make the problem worse. Illinois’ unfunded liability will grow to $92 billion next year without bold action.
“Tomorrow, republicans and democrats have an opportunity to be honest with the taxpayers of our state. I urge them to put politics aside, rescue Illinois from empty promises that led to skyrocketing pension costs and pass comprehensive pension reform.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Oops. I should’ve put this story here earlier…
House Speaker Michael Madigan called on Republicans Wednesday to do their “fair share” to help advance a partial solution to Illinois’ $83 billion pension crisis and warned a plan on Friday’s House agenda won’t pass with Democratic votes alone.
The Southwest Side Democrat’s statements cast further doubts on a package that Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) favors but that House Republicans basically have ruled out.
House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) has balked at the Senate-passed proposal expected to be voted on Friday. It would roll back pension benefits for members and retirees in two of the state’s five retirement systems, a move Cross has said is not “comprehensive” enough.
Even though House Democrats hold a 64-vote majority in the House, Madigan insisted that he would not put 60 Democratic votes on the Cullerton plan, which would be enough to pass it in the House and send it to Quinn, and that Republicans would have to embrace the Senate plan for it to pass.
“I think there should be fair share. This is a very contentious issue, very complex, very difficult, and everybody should be involved in working on the problem, not looking for political excuses to avoid doing heavy lifting on a difficult issue,” Madigan said.
Madigan also seemed to put the onus on Quinn to pressure Cross to get behind the pension plan on Friday’s special-session agenda.
Quinn, meanwhile, intends to call all four legislative leaders together for a meeting Friday before the special session and sidestepped any mention of the Cullerton bill when talking Wednesday with reporters.
- Deep South - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 10:05 am:
===Republicans don’t face the same type of internal conflicts.===
Someone’s not paying attention.
- Bill - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 10:10 am:
Look at the recent roll calls and committee votes. Republicans are more pro labor than democrats. It is probably unintentional, but still. It is democrats that are flushing this waste out of their committees. It is Quinn who is constantly mouthing off about why he was put on earth. It is Dan Kotowski writing letters to the editor demanding a vote on 1447. It is Nekritz pandering to haters in her district at the expense of public employees. I hope they all lose.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 10:11 am:
===Republicans don’t face the same type of internal conflicts.===
Maybe the writer is confusing “do” and “don’t”. Heck, I have typos all the time. This isn’t an example of shorthand journalism, it’s an example of shorthand “spell check”
Yep, it was a typo … no way was this someone … reporting … not understanding what is going on … or understanding the ILGOP …
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 10:29 am:
I can’t believe I’m about to defend the AP, but I think you’re all being a little harsh on them. They said that “Republicans don’t face the same type of internal conflicts.” I’d say that is mostly accurate. It’s not that there aren’t disagreements within/between the caucuses, but the nature of the conflicts are different – they are far less personality and ego driven than the internal conflicts of the Dems.
Secondly, they said that the GOP is “largely united behind the idea of cutting costs and reducing pensions without shifting any of the expense to local school districts.” Again, I think that is more accurate than not. They are LARGELY united behind the idea of cutting costs. Rich is right that there are some GOP legislators from union heavy districts that are less than enthusiastic about that approach, but I’d say most of the party is behind the idea of cutting costs and against shifting the expenses. Even Cross’s comments aren’t as contrary to that position as you suggest, Rich. He is saying that local districts need to stop manipulating the system to boost pensions. But if they continue, they should be the ones absorbing the additional costs that they are incurring by awarding end-of-career raises. I don’t think that acknowledging that is quite the same as supporting the general cost-shifting schemes being floated by the Dems.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 10:46 am:
–They are LARGELY united behind the idea of cutting costs–
They just don’t want to vote on it.
- dave - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:03 am:
They are LARGELY united behind the idea of cutting costs
Lets see them put 30 votes on a pension bill then.
- Liberty First - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:03 am:
This reminds me of an appellate court ruling that said “This case…. asks us to consider whether designating retiree benefits as “lifetime”really means “for life.” “
- Phil - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:11 am:
There were 18 GOP House votes against SB1313, the bill that stripped “free health insurance” from state retirees. If Cullerton’s SERS/General Assembly pension reform bill is called tomorrow and Cross allows his members to vote any way they want, there will be at least that many Republican votes against it and probably more. Public employee unions have plenty of allies among downstate Republicans. Too many Illinois reporters are too lazy to actually read a roll call and others simply find it easier to stick to the narrative that pension reform won’t happen because the Dems are slaves to the unions — nevermind that the truth is much more complicated than that.
- horseracer - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:13 am:
afscme should be ashamed of the venom they brought to the state fair yesterday. it was the most negative, rude and disturbing display directed at one person i have ever seen. totally counterproductive.
- Shore - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 11:34 am:
memo to team quinn it’s Republicans not republicans. Let’s try to stay classy, (or avoid typos)!
- Cook County Commoner - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
“To ease republican concerns, we have extended the phase-in period to allow school districts and universities to assume their own negotiated salary costs over 12 years. This extended phase-in period will ensure that school districts and universities are responsible for their compensation packages, while preventing property tax increases.”
Regarding the pension cost shift to the school districts, I wonder what the Solons of Springfield intend to do with districts like my suburban local high school whose pension plan is at about 50% funding, according to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ published numbers.
Kicking the can out 12 years on a responsibility shift is a non-starter.
This is pusillanimity at its best (or should I say worst).
- Frank Keegan - Thursday, Aug 16, 12 @ 3:02 pm:
None of the reform proposals are adequate. In fact, they may just make it worse. Illinois needs radical reform. You are out of time and soon will be out of money. What then? The big question is: Why do state workers keep giving money to pension thieves?
http://www.statebudgetsolutions.org/blog/detail/chump-public-workers-still-feeding-pension-thieves
- Ready To Get Out - Friday, Aug 17, 12 @ 8:44 am:
Frank…we don’t “give” money to them, they “take” it! It’s an automatic payroll deduction we have no control over.