When long-time State Rep. Dick Mautino Auditor General, it left a vacancy that was filled by Andy Skoog, former LaSalle County Circuit Clerk.
Mautino underwent a withering campaign, barely winning.
2014 election results for the 76th State Rep. District in which long-time incumbent Democrat Frank Mautino was almost beaten by Republican Jerry Lee Long.
David McSweeney
No wonder Mautino welcomed being appointed to a post with a ten-year term at a higher salary.
Now his replacement, Andy Skoog, has signed onto State Rep. David McSweeney’s resolution opposing a retirement tax.
When asked by The Times, both Republican candidates–Jerry Long and Jacob Bramel–took the same position.
Barb Wheeler
The story cites Crystal Lake Republican State Rep. Barbara Wheeler’s support for a tax on public pensions.
(See “Wheeler Considers Imposing Retirement Income Tax.”)
Neither Wheeler nor State Rep. Mike Tryon are co-sponsors of McSweeney’s anti-pension tax resolution.
Every Republican who votes for a tax increase bill gives a vulnerable Democrat a better opportunity to win election by voting “No.”
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Thanks to Dave Diersen’s at least daily email of links to Illinois stories political for pointing me to the story in The Times out of LaSalle about the candidates’ positions on the retirement tax. You can contact Diersen to get on his email list here.
Taxing pensions over $100,000 does not come close to solving the unfunded liability and escalating employer / staste pension contribution problem.
The legislative benefit hikes to underfunded pensions since 1970 were a legal scam with collusion between politicians and special interest groups and the hikes must be reigned in retroactively if there is any justice to taxpayers.
That requires a constitutional amendment repealing in its entirety the pension sentence added to the Illinois State Constitution on December 15, 1970.
Here is the sentence that was added on December 15, 1970.
“Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.”
That sentence has to be one of the top 10 worst sentences in any state or Federal constitution in the history of United States.
Where is the David Letterman countdown?
That sentence enables state legislators and Governors to:
1) Legislatively hike pension benefits to underfunded pensions
2) Short pension contributions
3) Legally obligates taxpayers to fund the hiked pensions.
Unbelievable.
It is not in the best interest of the state or the people.
It is in the best interest of politicians and those receiving the pensions.