26 Comments - Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:12 am: “When you were attacking Unions and specifically Teachers Unions supporting one of your opponents in the GOP Primary, how do you feel Union teachers did teching your Winnetka living Daughter in a Chicago school, and claiming all you do about Union Bosses and Pensions?” …that would be fun … - Upon Further Review - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:16 am: Amen, Willy! I never knew anyone who thought that New Trier Township High School was less than optimal until the Walter Payton Prep story broke. - Mason born - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:17 am: “Bruce believes teachers should be able to keep the pensions that they’ve honestly accrued, but moving forward they should be shifted into a defined-contribution style system that puts teachers in charge instead of the politicians.” That’s the line he should have went with to start and left the word “union” on the cutting room floor. - Walker - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:18 am: So union leaders among others supported moving TRS funds to Rauner’s own company. Now Rauner blames the same people for being in charge of teachers’ pensions. IEA cannot support his doublespeak in any way. But this is too inside baseball to have much impact in the election. - G'Kar - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:25 am: First, I doubt that unilaterally moving teachers to a defined contribution is constitutional. Second, how much will local property taxes have to go up once the Feds force the schools to start collecting social security when the pensions fall below the minimum threshold that allows teachers now to be exempt? - wordslinger - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:26 am: Surprised he brought up TRS on his own. That leads to follow-up questions….. - ZC - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:33 am: And Rauner will find extra money to spend on education in Illinois from … wait for it … Growth! Growth! Growth! Economic growth will flow down upon Illinois like a mighty stream, under Bruce Rauner’s stewardship. And why? As far as I can make out so far, because merely when IL’s business leaders look at their TV sets and see Bruce Rauner walking to and fro around Springfield, they will breathe a great sigh and immediately start hiring and resuming all the economic activities they have been sitting on the previous eight years. - Anonymous - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:38 am: Bruce: Pensions are great for those who aren’t as market savy as you or has a group of employees managing your assets. When it comes to 401ks the small time investor can only pick a few funds presented to him based on limited information provided and hope for the best. That’s being in charge for him. The people that get rich on 401ks are the fund managers. Or in the case of pensions, You. - Wally - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:39 am: Most teachers will support Quinn anyway, they vote dem. It is why I will always vote NO on any school tax referendum. - South of Sherman - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:56 am: “Most teachers will support Quinn anyway, they vote dem. It is why I will always vote NO on any school tax referendum.” Starving public education out of spite — now THERE’S a prescription for future success in Illinois! - Hit or Miss - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:59 am: ===Bruce has pledged to increase education funding as governor=== He also wants to cut taxes. I wonder where the money will come from to increase education funding? - Now What? - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 12:01 pm: Actually Wally, quite a few teachers vote Republican, which is so frustrating that Republicans can’t put forth a candidate that teachers can get behind who won’t demonize them. Hold your nose and vote for Quinn will be the rally cry the rank and file will hear. If it was Dillard, Quinn would be toast. - the Patriot - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 12:03 pm: Any solution other than shifting from defined benefits into 401k is just a kick the can and not a solution. The trick is the cost of the shift because I believe we need to honor our obligations to current teachers if they do not want to opt out of the current system. The fact also remains we can spend much less on teacher pensions than we are right now(approx. 16% of their salary) and guarantee everyone of them retires a millionaire. Any teacher who can’t see that probably is not smart enough to be teaching 3rd grade math anyway. I think the fixation on Rauner’s daughter is sad. I have not seen anyone ask about Lisa Madigan’s LSAT score or review her law school application. If you have ever spoken with her, or read her personal arguments on legal issues it is apparent she lacks the intelligence for her position. The President of the United States has had years of his life completely sealed. But for some reason, we are more interested in Bruce Rauner’s daughter than we are the AG of the state of IL or the President of the United States? Really? If you want to go after his daughter fine, but lets be consistent. Let’s ask Lisa Madigan how she got into law school. I don’t care about how the AG got into school or what Obama did in College. If it mattered they would have not won their elections. But if educational merit is your sticking point, and not a political agenda against Rauner, you need to be fair with it. - circularfiringsquad - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 12:27 pm: From the TRS Website “TRS is governed by a 13-member Board of Trustees. Trustees include the state superintendent of education, six trustees appointed by the governor, four trustees elected by contributing TRS members, and two trustees elected by TRS annuitants. Two appointed positions are vacant.” Union teacher start with 50-50 split and get to name the ED Gotta think teachers can tank at one of any governor’s picks day in and day out. Guess Mitt “Leadfeet” Rauner missed that point when developing his manifesto. Probably busy practicing “I never met Stu Levine” in front of the mirror and Princess Dye. - Wally - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 12:32 pm: SOS, I am not the problem with schools because of my position, the teachers and head of unions constantly endorsing dems and voting dem are the problem along with top heavy administrative staffs. Don’t whine to me that you need more funding for XXXX when 58% of the always increasing real estate taxes go to the school districts. Learn to be better fiscal managers and leaders. - Wally - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 12:34 pm: Now What, who did the teacher unions endorse in 2002, 2006 and 2010? - Anonymous - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 12:34 pm: “Bruce believes teachers should be able to keep the pensions that they’ve honestly accrued, but moving forward they should be shifted into a defined-contribution style system that puts teachers in charge instead of the politicians.” Why the word “honestly” to modify “accrued?” He’s just calling teachers a bunch of pension cheats and liars and implying that pension rights are illegitmate. And I’d bet a large amount of money that he doesn’t consider a COLA as already accrued. - Anonymous - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 12:39 pm: ==that puts teachers in charge(of their pensions) instead of politicians== Politicians being in charge of FUNDING pensions would never be a problem if they followed the consititution they swore to uphold instead of siphoning off the cash for everyone but the teachers. I don’t believe politicians actually make investments and manage pension funds. I guess he’s saying politicians can’t be trusted to follow the law of the land. So, since he’s running for political office, he’s saying he can’t be trusted to follow the law. What a surprise there. When someone tells you who they are, believe them. - Walker - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 1:06 pm: Switching to Bruce’s way will cost significantly more in the near and intermediate terms. Wonder why he doesn’t mention that. Maybe he knows it just isn’t going to happen here. - NotPurple - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 1:14 pm: **I think the fixation on Rauner’s daughter is sad. I have not seen anyone ask about Lisa Madigan’s LSAT score or review her law school application.** Sigh… the “fixation” is not at all about Rauner’s daughter. It is about the Rauner parents using clout to jump their daughter to the front of the line and through the doors. Further - what does Lisa Madigan’s LSAT score have to do with Rauner clouting his kid into Walter Payton Prep? - Grandson of Man - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 1:14 pm: “but moving forward they should be shifted into a defined-contribution style system that puts teachers in charge instead of the politicians” So Rauner wants to move teachers into funds in which the employer does not contribute? There’s retirement security for you. Anything and anyone should be cut as long as people like Rauner don’t have to pay a penny more in taxes to help out. That’s what the fight is all about, and why the Koch brothers and others are pouring millions of dollars into politics. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 1:20 pm: - the Patriot -, It’s about the Clouting of a Denied Winnetka 8th Grade student who magically got into Illinois’ top high school.., After being denied.., from Winnetka… Her parents are “Insiders” - please. Please learn the issue. - Downstater - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 2:26 pm: =It’s about the Clouting of a Denied Winnetka 8th Grade student who magically got into Illinois’ top high school= Hello! The vast majority of people don’t know and ,if they did, they couldn’t care. - wordslinger - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 2:27 pm: –Hello! The vast majority of people don’t know and ,if they did, they couldn’t care.– So what are you worried about? - 4 percent - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 2:31 pm: Wow…. Quinn just gave himself an A+ for his performance as Governor. - A guy... - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 3:43 pm: 4%, He’s grading on a curve and there’s only one Governor of Illinois. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.