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Question of the day

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Illinois

* From the AP…

Gov. Pat Quinn says solving Illinois’ pension problem is imperative, and he’s warned lawmakers not to go anywhere next month.

Quinn says legislators can’t “drift through the summer and do nothing about it.”

* The Question: Should Gov. Quinn call a special session next month to deal with pension reforms if the legislative leaders can’t come to an agreement? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please. Thanks.

Online Surveys & Market Research

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:28 pm

Comments

I voted no…..unless he has an agreement. Otherwise, it just makes him look ineffective again.

Comment by Raising Kane Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:34 pm
1) costs to much and 2) the pension will be settled during the lame duck session after the election and prior to the next 2 year session

Comment by STP Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:35 pm
No.
If they refuse to act like adults now, bringing them back for the summer will not make them grow up.

Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:39 pm
yes-good for the Springfield economy

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:39 pm
Bring em back. Let em earn their pay instead skating merrily along.

Comment by BMAN Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:43 pm
Yes. $12+ million per day, if Quinn’s numbers are correct. It’ll also give voters a more clear picture about the politicians before November, especially if, as Skeeter points out, they still can’t act like responsible adults.

Comment by Jeff Trigg Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:43 pm
He would just be pandering to those who equate “reform” with ripping-off employees. In fact, the pension benefits have already been “reformed” for hires after 2011. Policymakers need to find a true way to reform pensions by paying the money back that Illinois borrowed from its clerks, engineers, janitors, and other rank-and-file workers.

Comment by Crime Fighter Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:48 pm
No. To what end? If the Gov and Four Tops can’t get their heads around the issue and propose solutions, how will putting 173 more people in the Capitol produce a different result? The rank and file hasn’t shown backbone in years and its highly unlikely that’s going to change anytime in the near future. Moreover, none of the four leaders is going to allow it to happen anyway.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:53 pm
It doesn’t matter. There is case law out there that shows that it is illegal to change the existing pensions. Quinn can do whatever he wants to new hires, but he cannot mess with current employees or retirees.

Comment by Rusty618 Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:58 pm
Maybe they should meet in Waltonville again to address the pension issue –that seemed to work well on the drought problem.

Comment by dznuts Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 12:59 pm
Put your head around these numbers from 2008. The problem is exponentially worse 4 years later. Note the numbers are for the top 100 pensioners only. Illinois is toast. We are moving.

http://dailybail.com/home/make-this-story-go-viral-you-thought-california-state-pensio.html

Comment by downstateray Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:02 pm
The politicians do not want to hurt their chances for reelection, by making people angry. They will take the cowards way, and wait till after the election!

Comment by Billy Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:05 pm
I voted no.

If pension reform was such a big budget issue then He should’ve vetoed the budget and said no pension reform, no budget. What really is happening is a bunch of posturing to get them past the election cycle.

Comment by Kevin Highland Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:16 pm
So the people who have the responsibility to fix things stay at home and do nothing?

Lock them in an uncooled room until a solution is found

While the solution languishes, all the citized are being hurt.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:18 pm
I voted yes. Put their feet to the fire before the elections.

I for one want to see where each stands and get their individual reasoning as to why they are hammering the state employee when it is they who borrowed the money from the pension fund and blew it.

The state worker has delivered on their promise to work and we the people of the state are obligated to them under contract. Bring the part timers back to do their job. They can start by reducing their salary and benefits.

Comment by Sunshine Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:21 pm
Well, after the November election, the gubernatorial election starts moving to center stage in Illinois. Better for Quinn to get the unpleasantness over with asap. Then he can use prospective savings on future pension debt to claim he fixed the budget.

Comment by cassandra Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:27 pm
Yes, let’s have the incompetency on display right before the election. It would be bad for the politicians but good for the voters to see.

Comment by Ahoy! Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:30 pm
The Governor will have as much to do with reforming the pension systems as the Man on the Moon- Quinn hasn’t even proposed CMS rates for retiree health care and that has already been approved

Comment by Sue Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:36 pm
I voted yes. This may seem contradictory, as I am a SURS employee, but I honestly want some sort of law passed so it can go to court. I really want a ruling on the pension clause, one way or the other so I can plan for my and my familys’ future. (personally, I think changing the pensions for those of us hired before 2011 IS unconstitutional, but I am not a judge, nor do I play one on TV ).

Comment by G'Kar Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:45 pm
Off topic, but more public corruption arrests

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-2-cook-co-workers-accused-of-taking-bribes-20120718,0,450135.story

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 1:51 pm
No,there’s a drought in central Illinois.We don’t need more hot air in Springfield.

Comment by red dog Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:06 pm
yes, be a leader

Comment by palatine Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:06 pm
Yes it’s time he backs up his words with action,his cowardly lion act has got to stop.

Comment by mokenavince Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:16 pm
I voted “Yes.”

It gives Madigan another opportunity to challenge Tom Cross to put up or shut up.

By my count, Cross is O for Two.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:20 pm
Nope. It’s already July 18, and the state hasn’t gone bankrupt yet. What, only 100 days til veto session?

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:25 pm
It’s all about being elected. What matters most to legislators is being elected. Nothing will happen until after the election; if then.

Comment by Professor Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:30 pm
I voted yes, but I don’t think any substantial solutions will come out before the elections.

Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:44 pm
No, it is a waste of money. Too bad the media keep calling the pension bill, pension reform.

Comment by Liberty First Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:45 pm
I voted No. It would be a waste of time to do so. They’v been talking about this issue for months; why bring them back and make the tax-payers pay for their stay again for work they were supposed to have done while they were in session; to suggest that bringing them back to Springfield only encourages them to think about yet another way to waste the tax-payers’money.

Comment by ChicagoDem Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 2:48 pm
I voted yes but it won’t happen. They need to decide if they’re going to move teacher pensions to locals, which will likely mean property tax increases. That’s why it won’t happen before the election. But they still need to decide on that issue before addressing state employee pensions.

Comment by Casual observer Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 3:05 pm
Waste of money? Are you kidding me? Isn’t that what they DO? Waste yours and my money? Why not waste some more so they can blame all the state’s financial woes on public workers, AKA the big money folks in the state, living large like them?

Comment by geronimo Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 3:15 pm
And by the way, I voted yes. Let’s get this settled and all the cards on the table. We’ll be able to see where everyone stands. That’ll make my decision easier….whether to move out of state or not. Don’t want to give any of my future tax money to those who’ve stolen it once and are going to take even more of what was promised.

Comment by geronimo Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 3:38 pm
Yes, this problem must be solved now. It’s so frustrating to hear that state facilities are being closed in order to save money when the pension system is bleeding more than 10 million dollars per day.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 3:43 pm
To G’Kar

The only way you can plan for your family’s future is to get OUT of SURS! If your future retirement benefits can be changed mid-career NOW, why can’t it be changed again, after you’ve invested another decade? Further, how about the threatened changes to the already retired? How did planning for the family’s retirement work out for them now that their “plan” is changed (or is being threatened with change) AFTER the fact?

Comment by geronimo Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 3:59 pm
The pension systems problem has already been fixed. The state just must keep making their full contributions each year as required by law.

Comment by Makandadawg Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 4:11 pm
The GA is used to simply waiting to hear from the TOPS what their responses should be. Get them here for the summer, move into the Gov house for the summer, hold a series of meetings with each of them in the house/office/public/private settings, and do the LBJ muscle pressure. Make them earn that pay and cause some headaches. Get some better spokespeople who can really work the mics and news spots. Have Quinn practice his statements before an event and then work him into as many events as possible all over the state. Stay out of Cook County 3 weeks out of the month. Face the people and no side trips when a crowd gets too big.

Comment by zatoichi Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 4:17 pm
Why in the world does Quinn think that the legislature will want to deal with ANYTHING controversial with an election coming up?

Hello, Pat? Or is this just Pat politics?

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 4:18 pm
NO! Absolutely NO! They have had ample time in their PART TIME JOBS AND FULL TIME RETIREMENT to get the job done. The state is broke and they want the taxpayers to foot yet another bill for their OT, DMs, Vehicle costs, etc. I don’t think so! Many of us are at the breaking point, so the established elite government had better use their common sense, work ethic, and honesty to help Illinois.

Comment by sick and tired Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 5:43 pm
No. Better to be honest and sit tight than to play publicity games. Maintain whatever good will remains in leg/exec relations–don’t erode same by browbeating and lecturing legislators that have committed to address pensions in the fall.

Comment by Rudy Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 5:48 pm
Make them work like the rest of us.

Comment by Belle Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 5:54 pm
No, it’s just political posturing. $12 mil sounds like a lot to most people, but it’s a rounding error compared to the underfunding or state deficit. It popular now to blame government employees, but even if they did something constitutional, the bulk of the problem would still exist.

Comment by RetiredStateEmployee Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 8:00 pm
No. Realize that the pension issue is not a cause, but a symptom. The problem is on the revenue side, and promises made withstanding…we must both lower projected costs in the future and cut costs as well. Promises made in the past may well not extend into the future. Tough medicine but yes…those who have a great deal now may not going forward. Benefits must be correlated with economic reality; not necessarily cut drastically, but adjusted. There is a golden age in all industries, and the good times have run out.

Comment by Madison Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 8:09 pm
RetiredStateEmployee, As Dirksen said ‘A million here and a million there, pretty soon you are talking about real money’. But I voted no, nothing can get through unless the ‘leaders’ agree so why make everyone else sit on their hands? After all they have other jobs to do. Like lobby local governments. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/us/is-it-a-conflict-of-interest-yes-but-its-legal-in-illinois.html?pagewanted=all

What a cesspool.

Comment by Midway Gardens Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 8:41 pm
Why allow this can to get kicked any further down the road? We’re just wasting more and more money every pay period that goes by. It appears most voters in the poll are okay with status quo rather than demanding more of our supposed leaders.

Comment by Shemp Wednesday, Jul 18, 12 @ 11:00 pm
If there’s no agreement on a bill, what’s the point? Just get everyone angry and embarrassed and let the Trib do another dumb editorial or two, probably make it harder to do anything in the lame duck when there may be a chance.

Comment by Marty Thursday, Jul 19, 12 @ 3:36 am
Shemp - It’s not a question of being OK with the status quo. Maybe you’re new to Illinois but the general assembly does only what it’s told to do by the leaders (and you can’t include the governor as one of the leaders it listens to).

Comment by Midway Gardens Thursday, Jul 19, 12 @ 4:47 am
@geronimo -

Don’t we already KNOW where everything stands?

Tom Cross and the Republican Party, the supposed champions of pension reform, can barely muster 30 votes for their own bill.

Why?

Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. In Chicago, where the majority of voters vote Democratic, the majority of teachers, firefighters, police officers, AFSCME members, and other public and non-public union members are Democrats.

In suburban and downstate Republican districts, where the majority of voters vote Republican, the majority of union members — and their families — vote Republican.

Radogno has a bit easier time of it, because her members don’t all have to be worried about being swept out of office in the next primary. But House Republican incumbents should be very worried. As Rich has recently reported, Tom Cross isn’t exactly sitting on a mountain of cash. Who is going to defend them in the next cycle? No one.

Beyond that, Madigan is right on principle about having local school districts pick up their share of pension costs. And, I imagine that the vast majority of Illinois voters who have an opinion on the question agree with him by a margin of 2 to 1, although this is such a complex issue that I would bet there are still a great number of undecideds out there.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jul 19, 12 @ 7:09 am