From State Rep. Allen Skillicorn:
Fixer Up!
In order to truly address the growing pension crisis that is crushing Illinois taxpayers, we must institute serious reforms.
While a constitutional amendment, which Skillicorn introduced in HJRCA19, to reform the pension clause would be the optimal solution, political will to do so is lacking.
However we cannot stand idly by therefore a pension package of legislation has been introduced by the Representative to address many critical issues where some agreement may be possible:
● HB3868-Raises the retirement age up 1 year.
● HB3859-Cap pensions for all current and retired employees at $132k per year (Same as maximum Social Security contribution).
● HB3860-Ties automatic Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
● HB3919-Creates a Tier 3 defined contribution plan going forward after January, 2021 for all state workers.
These modest reforms could restore the health of our system in a decade if implemented immediately.
If we continue to do nothing, the solution to this crisis will only get further and further away–possibly to a point of no return. We owe it to every citizen of Illinois and our children to act now.
Seems quite reasonable.
And is why Madigan won’t give it anything but a polite no.
Let’s take a look at how the legislative pieces are doing (since we know a constitutional amendment is pie in the sky thinking).
hb 3859- the only other person supporting the bill is Blaine Wilhour.
hb 3860- Same as above, plus Amy Grant.
3919 has nobody except for Skillicorn.
3868- just Skillicorn and Wilhour.
Some of these bills were filed in August and some in October. They’ve been around for months and this is the momentum you see so far…
Skillicorn is an ineffective legislator.
Not only is he a non-factor in the general assembly but he’s a non-factor in his own super-minority party, and it looks like he may even be a non-factor within the super-minority conservative eastern bloc faction within the super-minority GOP.
It’s one thing if you can’t get something passed, but when there are 118 people in your legislative body and you can only get one or two people to agree with you, that’s kind of sad.
Most of the Illinois Public Sector Pensions have been a Ponzi scheme for their entire existence.
That means for the scheme to perpetuate, future contributions are required to cover what should have already been contributed.
Contributions could come from higher taxes or higher fees from property taxpayers, income taxpayers, legal gambling, etc.
The mystery for each taxpayer and fee payer is how much will the government ask for, and when will they ask for it.
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How did the problem get so severe?
Because state legislators and governors hiked benefits, while pensions were already underfunded.
And politicians hiked salaries, while pensions were already underfunded.
Instead of first fully funding pensions, then hiking benefits and salaries.
As an analogy, they charged a credit card that was always carrying an unpaid balance.
The result in both cases is interest.
The result in the case of the Illinois Pension Ponzi scheme is massive pension interest.
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Most of those supporting the status quo will say these bills have no chance of passing in the 101st Illinois General Assembly.
They are probably correct, absent some crisis.
So what is their solution to continuing the Illinois pension Ponzi scheme? s
For instance, the proposed November 3, 2020 referendum to change the Illinois state income tax from a flat tax, to various brackets (adjustable income tax), and the hiked rates for brackets of income $250,000 and greater, is projected to generate $3 billion additional annually to the state government.
That is not enough money to resolve the state pension penzi scheme funds (TRS, SERS, SURS, JRS, GARS).
So what’s the next plan?
Hike a bracket or brackets of income less than $250,000?
Tax retirement income?
Tax more services?
Many services are exempt from state sales tax in Illinois.
etc.
Not to mention, Illinois is notorious for over estimating revenue, which is one reason why the state hasn’t truly balanced its budget since 2001.
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Here are the details about the legislation.
101st Illinois General Assembly
http://www.ilga.gov > Bills & Resolutions > House Bills
ilga.gov > House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendments
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House Bill 3859 (HB 3859)
ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3859&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=121829&SessionID=108&GA=101
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House Bill 3860 (HB 3860)
ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3860&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=121830&SessionID=108&GA=101
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House Bill 3868 (HB 3868)
ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3868&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=121880&SessionID=108&GA=101
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House Bill 3919 (HB 3919)
ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3919&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=122104&SessionID=108&GA=101
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House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 19 (HJRCA 19)
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=19&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HJRCA&LegId=118229&SessionID=108&GA=101
Correcting, I get your logic, so what is it about Skillicorn that makes him ineffective? (Trolls pls keep meaningless comments to yourselves.)
Are there similar bills in flight?
Or is he simply Don Quixote?
Raise retirement age 3 years!!!
What is it about the Illinois General Assembly that makes it dysfunctional.
They have not passed a balanced budget since 2001.
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YouTube
Illinois Policy channel
Madigan: Power. Privilege. Politics
November 3, 2016
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgVP3H122nw
I’m not sure why it is that way, eminclake, I only know it is that way. You would think some of his bills would be popular with Republicans (based on their own rhetoric) yet they are not. Some possible explanations:
1. His colleagues do not like him at a personal level.
2. He doesn’t get enough one-on-one time with his colleagues.
3. He does communicate with his colleagues, but is a poor communicator.
4. The vast majority of Republicans in the GA aren’t interested in fixing anything or doing their jobs.
5. Nobody plays ball with Allen because he wants no part in corruption.
I wonder how a firebrand conservative reformer like McSweeney was able to get so many things passed
Did McSweeney emphasize issues where he could get bipartisan support, did his colleagues like him, etc.?
From a style and ideological point of view, I think there are a lot of similarities between McSweeney and Skillicorn yet the differences between their accomplishments couldn’t be more stark.