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* From a Bruce Rauner press release…

More Pension Problems

- Crisis Caused by Springfield Career Politicians Continues -

After touting a pension plan that allegedly saved the state $160 billion over thirty years, newly released bond documents expose major shortcomings in the overall scope of the new pension law.

Not only does the pension plan save $15 billion less than was promised, but the documents also reveal the shaky foundation upon which the entire plan is built. According to the filing, a fraction of the projected savings occur in the first 10 years of the 30 year plan.* The other projected savings are heavily back-loaded.

“This pension plan continues to look more and more like other plans crafted by Springfield insiders that appear good on the surface, but fail over the long term and make real reform harder,” said Mike Schrimpf, spokesman for Bruce Rauner’s campaign. “Like the 1994 pension plan that kick-started the pension crisis, the new law is shortsighted, unrealistic, fails to fundamentally reform the system and could make things even worse.”

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the SEC cited the 1994 pension bill as the “primary driver” of the pension crisis.

“The politicians running for governor have all been in Springfield for the last two decades and played a major role in causing the pension crisis,” Schrimpf added. “It’s clear that career politicians are unwilling to shake up Springfield and won’t ever truly fix the pension system.”

“No wonder they also refuse to condemn the attempts by Pat Quinn and his allies to hijack the GOP primary,” Schrimpf said. “They all take money from the government union bosses and are part of the broken system of politics in Springfield.”

Pat Quinn Government Union Contributions
- More than $4.5 Million

Kirk Dillard Government Union Contributions
- More than $450,000
- Seeking endorsement from Illinois Education Association
- Seeking SEIU endorsement

Dan Rutherford Government Union Contributions
- More than $50,000
- Seeking endorsement from Illinois Education Association
- Seeking SEIU endorsement

Bill Brady Government Union Contributions
- More than $15,000

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:08 am

Comments

And other than taking away earned pension benefits from employees/retirees Mr Schrimp, you would save the pensions, exactly how?

Comment by anonymouse Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:13 am
“Ahh… The strawberries, … that’s where I had them…”

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:14 am
Really? This dribble is worthy of a post? Not only is it old news but also a rehashing of the same tired talking points. What here is even interesting?

Comment by Obama's Puppy Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:15 am
“Bruce Rauner - made Millions upon Millions for his firm… off of pensions… some of which were “advocated” by tens of thousands of dollars to the likes of Ed Rendell, and through the hiring of the likes of Stu Levine”

Better.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:16 am
Maybe some basic math would be in order. The “savings” are backloaded precisely because the 1994 ramp pushed so much of the cost to the end.

So, of course, a more level payment will have more savings at the end. Who in his right mind thought that $150 billion over 30 years translated to $5 billion a year right now?

I always find it interesting to classify the difference as “savings.” Its a partial default on debt. Calling it savings, I suppose, makes the GA feel less guilty about it….

Comment by archimedes Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:18 am
I thought the 1994 plan and the Blago POB purchases were perfect example of front loading savings. That worked out real well.

Front loaded savings = short-sighted
Back loaded savings = logview

Comment by Phenomynous Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:20 am
logview is longview

Comment by Phenomynous Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:22 am
if i understand it correctly, the conclusion that the reform will generate $15 bil less than expected is based on an analysis of complex systems, with some differences in key assumptions. over 30 years, and involving numbers this big, they would do well to come within $15 bil of the target. thats still $145 bil to the good.

and rauners put everyone in 401(k)s plan? didnt get very far, and is prospective, so the problems with the current system still have to be addressed. if we ran it like a rauner business, he would just inflate the value, siphon profits, and leave the employees with nothing.

we will see if the pension reforms are constitutional or not. but i am pretty sure i will be better off than any employee of lason, etc.

Comment by langhorne Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:23 am
Pat Quinn might be the luckiest guy in politics ever. Whoever survives the GOP primary will be lucky to have any skin left.

Comment by tominchicago Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:23 am
Total union contributions to Republicans $515k which is less than the amount Baron Von Carhartt® has donated to Democrats…

Or about the same he paid to Stu Levine…

Or half of what he paid to clout his daughter into Payton Prep…

Or about a few percent his company paid to settle RICO charges…

Or about 28,000 times the price of his watch…

Just sayin’…

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:25 am
I understood the pension law was an attempt to finesse the unconstitutional issue. I’m waiting for Mr Rauner to explain how his solutions are constitutional. I can come up with ways to save more but none are constitutional. This story is stale.

Comment by Sir Reel Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:25 am
During this cold snap, I want to thank Bruce Rauner for his outrageous hypocrisy. It has my blood boiling.

Pay-to-play Rauner employed Stu Levine to score off public employee pension funds.

The ISBE reports that outsider Bruce has, over the years, made 187 contributions to Illinois politicians totaling $4.1 million.

How any person can’t be insulted by the contempt this phony has for the people is beyond me.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:26 am
Seems a little lame to trumpet the other guy’s contributions from unions — amounts about equal to Raunner’s pocket change.

Comment by kimocat Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:27 am
Cinncinattus- My Hero for today…

Comment by anonymouse Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:35 am
The cojones on this guy. While the “union bosses” have contributed to campaigns of these elected this guy has profited personally from managing pension funds.

Comment by Come on man! Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:40 am
I love that word, FIX. Yes, they sure were fixed good when money was diverted away from them to other places. Fix them back. Fund them properly and allocate monies away from other places specifically to remedy the damage done to them for decades. That’s the fix.

Comment by AnonymousOne Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:40 am
Maybe someone should ask Mr. Rauner whether he would prefer Pat Quinn or a Republican to win the election?

That said i think Cincinatus has the Script for the ‘3′ to respond.

Comment by Mason born Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:44 am
Go ahead Mr Rauner, take our pensions. It’s all for a good cause, right?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-trooper-accident-maintenance-worker-20140127,0,6960429.story?track=rss

Comment by I'm Strapped Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:45 am
It funny how it’s fine for Rauner to support and even donate to Tom Cross when he is the largest Republican recipient of Public Sector Union money and a 20 year insider. Once again it’s do what I say and not what I do for Brucey!

Comment by child games Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:53 am
Next up - “Bruce Rauner, personal donations to Democrats”

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:54 am
I’m Strapped, thanks for that.

It needed to be said, it needs to be remembered, and it needs to be acted upon when it comes to billionaire victims who demonize the people to feed their egos.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:54 am
Didn’t little Brucie Rauner make his FIFTY-THREE MILLION DOLLAR income last year through MANAGING PENSION FUNDS???

Comment by redrepublican Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 11:59 am
Rauner desperately still trying to distract from Heaven’s Gate Gate. #lame

Comment by too obvious Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:06 pm
This is not just about trying to win an election at this point, folks. This is about trying to brainwash the electorate into thinking all financial problems in this state have been caused by unions to make it easier for him to attempt to get rid of unions via executive order a la mitch daniels (as he said in the debate and despite that pesky Illinois Public Labor Relations Act). That is, if the anti-union SCOTUS doesn’t beat him to the punch in decimating public unions in Harris v. Quinn.

And also let’s be clear that this union-busting strategy has nothing to do with getting better deals for taxpayers in worker contracts or restoring better budget practices or achieving “fairness” for those compelled to join a union but is all about weakening the ability of unions to participate in the political process and provide any sort of competition for the Rauners and Griffins of the world and the political offices they seek to purchase.

Oh the horror that once upon a time Bill Brady got a $15,000 check from some unspecified government union contributions. Meanwhile, Rauner collects $50 k from the Goldman Sachs CEO who as treasury secretary commanded Congress to give him $700 billion to bail out Wall Street’s bad bets and… *crickets*

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:07 pm
There are numerous reasons to dislike Rauner - and more each day it seems, but here is a dispassionate comment that begs an answer: Rauner’s “My way or the highway” attitude morphs into “Your either with me or agin me” as he brands all union members as enemies - Dem & GOP alike. He implies it is unethical for GOP candidates to seek union endorsements, but not for him to profit off of their pension funds - even if it means hiring a now convicted felon to facilitate doing so. He is doing great harm to a party that was on life support. The GOP needed to reach out to Dems., Independents & union members if it was ever going to be able to forge a winning coalition. That’s basic math. How then is it even remotely possible for Rauner to win the general election after he has villainized the majority of the electorate and attacked members of his own party?? Where are the votes going to come from??

Comment by veritas Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:08 pm
Still looks like the best campaign money can buy. Here we have three press releases in recent days from the Baron that stir up publicity. What are the other three doing? Waiting for to respond to the next Rauner release. Pitiful!

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:09 pm
Something else… although not sure if my last longwinded screed got through the CapFax censors

Hasn’t Bruce Rauner HIMSELF donated $100,000 to try to elect Bill Brady? Yet we are supposed to believe Brady is in the pocket of govt. unions over $15k?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:15 pm
The Rauner campaign is imploding. Senator Kirk sends over his people to work, Dold has his former staffers working there, and between all of the money he spends on them, he still looks like joke of the century. And he’s taking down everyone with him. This is almost comical.

Comment by Think about It Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:23 pm
The savings are backloaded by design. We usually backload costs and not savings.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:25 pm
Which is worse? Donations from unions or donations from someone tied to Rauner’s nursing home problem. http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/?p=13318

Comment by LGHB Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:35 pm
I am now more convinced it is too late… The other 3 had time… They wasted it… Poll tested I am sure… This is very real now… With the teachers filing suit…I suppose the “deafening” silence I kept thinking… Is loud and clear now… Rauner is all in…To this point, out spent…More importantly out worked the rest….All the details for the general public on here, not making the news is irrelevant. Are we to believe the teachers will sue Pat Quinn and then back him?

Comment by Walter Mitty Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:52 pm
So, that’s it?! Attack your opponents by trying to tie them to unions via donations and imply they’re both the cause of everything wrong in this state? Is that all you can come up with, Rauner?
Pathetic.

Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 12:54 pm
Is that all you can come up with, Rauner?
Pathetic.

Genius…How many “regular” folks think the state is in good shape? The law makers are effective? Red meat…Perception is reality…

Comment by Walter Mitty Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 1:06 pm
Rauner wants to be the consummate insider when asking for money and favors.

And Rauner wants to be a complete outsider when asking for votes in the media.

Good luck with that, Bruce. Maybe your buddy Rahm can help you sell that story.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 1:35 pm
“…. if we ran it like a rauner business, he would just inflate the value, siphon profits, and leave the employees with nothing.”

Well, that might pretty well explain his reasoning and push for term limits .

Comment by OLD BRASS Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 1:42 pm
Inside outside
Leave me alone.
Inside outside
Nowhere is home.
Inside outside
Where have I been?
Out of my brain on the five fifteen

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 1:43 pm
Ahhh…. Cinci…The Who!

Comment by Walter Mitty Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 1:47 pm
Rauner’s contention is that union’s give money and expect something in return from the candidate.
Rauner gives his own campaign money. I guess, given his view of how the world works, Citizen Rauner thinks that Governor Rauner will be very nice to him.

Isn’t $50 million a year enough? I guess not.

Comment by truthteller Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 2:17 pm
- Walter Mitty - Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 1:47 pm:

Ahhh…. Cinci…The Who!

++++++++++++++

People try to put us d-down (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Just because we get around (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin’ ’bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 2:40 pm
== the SEC cited the 1994 pension bill as the “primary driver” of the pension crisis. ==

If I´m not mistaken, the Trib supported the 1994 pension fix, along with Edgar, Pate and Daniels, who touted it as the solution to the unfunded pension liability. Now it turns out it was just the opposite. When will the supporters of that policy ever admit their huge mistake and be held accountable?

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Jan 28, 14 @ 3:56 pm