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* LIVE * Pension reform conference committee

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* Festivities are expected to begin at 3 o’clock. Click here or here for audio and video.

Pension negotiators acknowledged last week that the deadline would be blown, saying more time was needed to crunch numbers and find a consensus. Quinn on Monday warned there would be “consequences” for their lack of action but wouldn’t say specifically what they might be.

Quinn brushed aside suggestions that their dismissal of his time frame represented a lack of respect for his office.

“I don’t feel any kind of disrespect, I have the respect of the people of Illinois,” Quinn said.

Yeah, about 30 percent or so of the people, if the polls are right.

* ScribbleLive…

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 2:51 pm

Comments

Skip the diminishment plans, figure out how to pay the bill that is already owed and can’t be negated.

Anything else is a waste of time.

Comment by RNUG Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 2:58 pm
Quinn is delusional thinking people respect him. Does anyone get tired of him referring to “the people”. Public employees are people too. I will be glad when he loses the 2014 election.

Comment by Kathryn Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:42 pm
Stermer’s testimony is a waste of everybody’s time. They should have let Fortner continue or go on to others.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:52 pm
–Raoul: tells Stermer he’s been good to work with thus he regrets it’s he who’s testifying at pension committee, not the Governor himself.–

Why? Does Quinn have some sort of pull in the General Assembly?

Why even pretend that? This is between the House and the Senate and they’re going to have to work it out.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 3:59 pm
Gov. Quinn is pretty closed minded. He only repeats HIS ajgenda instead of.listening and observing new options. Sadly, he doesn’t care about the employees of this State.

Comment by Observer Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:03 pm
Amen, RNUG.
This group burnt a lot of daylight on clearly non-workable ideas, including that gem from the Uni’s (1/2 of CPI COLA is not a diminishment if enough professors say so.)

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:06 pm
It’s sad to see someone the quality of Jerry Stermer ruining his credibility covering the behind of Quinn the incompetent.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:07 pm
I thought Quinn was “put on this Earth” to solve the pension problem — yet he cannot even attend a meeting? Troubling.

Comment by LincolnLounger Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:09 pm
Once again, we have the administration putting out the lie that this is about saving the benefits of state workers. This is about Squeezy making budgeting more problematic.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:09 pm
I have a new respect for Sen Raoul after watching him in the CC today. Quinn should have been there instead of pointing fingers and making deadlines. He has made the comment several times that he is willing to work night and day, and yet does not show up at the CC when invited. It is more than troubling. Instead of doing the work he should be doing he is already campaigning for 2014. Sad.

Comment by boat captain Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:48 pm
Would there even be a conference committee meeting this summer if Quinn hadn’t insisted on it?

Comment by Rudy Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 4:51 pm
Where is the mightyless Quinn? Hiding his head in the sand in Chicago like always….by him saying he has the respect of the people of Illinois just shows how out of touch he is…we DO NOT RESPECT YOU!!!!!!!!

Comment by concern1 Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:10 pm
AA That was just a couple of U of I profs. UPI part of IFT represents most profs in state but not UIUC and it is very much against the Presidents Proposal and the cost shift

Comment by RNUG Fan Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:13 pm
Testimony from Ty Fahner all the way to Rich Whitney. Does this committee really have any idea of what to do?

Comment by Makandadawg Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:18 pm
Lisa filed her A-1

Comment by Spliff Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 5:28 pm
Fan, good point. I really meant to type “Presidents” not “Professors.”

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 7:24 pm
Thank the powers that were in office during the last Constitutional Convention that they had the foresight to protect from the greedy money grabbing politicians that would want to grab our money…and the Gov should stay in the corner and let the big boys figure this out because it is, as most things are, out of his league.

Comment by DoubleD Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 7:34 pm
The U of I Professors who came up with the Universities Plan are, in my humble opinion, a small group of extreme conservatives with a radical right-wing agenda. They do not represent the majority of faculty, other employees or retires covered by SURS. As far as I know, University employees who would be affected by the plan have never voted on it, and if presented with evidence of how it would diminish their earned, vested pension benefits most would strongly oppose it.

Comment by Andrew Szakmary Monday, Jul 8, 13 @ 10:53 pm