Andrew Gasser Says No Notice to New County Board Members of IMRF 1,000 Hour Work Requirement

One of the McHenry County Board members who promised not to sign-up for Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund pension benefits and carried through on that pledge says that he wasn’t told of the 1,000 annual work requirement when he went through new member orientation.

He is Andrew Gasser and he has given me permission to reprint this article on the subject, which he published on his blog.

Burning the IMRF Pension at the Stake

Everyone knows that I oppose pensions for County Board members.

IMRF officials are searched for weapons before attending the March 17th McHenry County Board meeting.

IMRF officials are searched for weapons before attending the March 17th McHenry County Board meeting.

Gasser pension pledgehas been made recently about the political stunt inferring that McHenry County Board Members are some how cheating the system.

These accusations are nothing more than political mud slinging that occurs during an election year.

During our “newbie county board indoc” class Dr. Michael Rein, Don Kopsel, Michael Smith, and Chuck Wheeler were all given a form to fill out.

I know the County Board member pension forms don’t say ANYTHING about there being any sort of minimum hour requirement.  I know this because I was there and went through the training.

My fellow colleagues signed up because they were TOLD it was okay to sign up.

How do I know that?

The sign-up sheet for IMRF does not say that one must work 1,000 hours per year.

The sign-up sheet for IMRF does not say that one must work 1,000 hours per year.

This is IMRF Form 6.21. The county provided this form to all of us.

For the IMRF, and others, to now try and make a claim and say my fellow board members did something wrong or weren’t eligible is frankly, inaccurate, and a cheap political stunt. The IMRF provided our forms for the opportunity to accept (or decline) the pension. Look closely – the provided forms say nothing about hours or documentation.

We have a phrase for THAT kind of… behavior in the military.

So, let people be against pensions for elected officials. I will agree and I will use my bully pulpit every chance I get. I’m against them… and I refused the County Board pensions.

But when these same people say the County Board members who accepted the pensions “should have known” they weren’t eligible – that is a COMPLETELY false statement.


Comments

Andrew Gasser Says No Notice to New County Board Members of IMRF 1,000 Hour Work Requirement — 27 Comments

  1. Thank you, Andrew! Where’s the documents that tell you about eligibility like it indicates in the first bullet point?

    Is that information available to all the board members or are they just supposed to make it up as they go along?

    Seems odd there is only one piece of paper with no real instructions.

  2. Andrew why don’t you tell them that you are getting a pension from our government tax dollars from the federal side and using government benefits on our tax dollars and while you are at it why don’t you tell how you don’t even pay property taxes.

  3. Team Andrew should start a petition drive to end pensions and healthcare for county board members.

    Just talking about getting rid of bennies and Nepotism also isn’t enough.

    Action will get a real reaction.

  4. Andrew is a county board member which last I checked is a legislative position.

    Instead of grandstanding maybe he should introduce the ordinance to eliminate the benefits.

    He could have done it last fall, but did not.

    Crazy idea.

  5. The anti pension resolution would probably go down 2 to 22 or 3 to 21.

    That’s only if Gottemoeller let it bypass the committee process and of course Schofield would move to table it (and that table would pass).

    The next county board should be more receptive to real reforms.

    Joe won’t be chair, no Anna May, no Carolyn, and a handful more reformers.

  6. The document clearly says you are signing that you are qualified to receive this- and there is a resolution on file-

    I don’t think it is crazy to think they understand what they are signing- given they are responsible for a multi-million dollar budget.

    The 1,000 was chosen- actively chosen by the members of this board.

    They know they are not working a 1,000 hours.

    They knew it when they voted to raise the standard.

    ELIMINATE THE PENSION.

    ELIMINATE THE TAXPAYER CONTRIBUTION FOR HEALTHCARE.

    ELIMINATE THE MILEAGE.

    No longer “worth your time” don’t run.

    But to criticize public unions an then take these beanies is ridiculous

  7. Inish you are wrong.

    The document doesn’t clearly say anything and it certainly doesn’t say the board member signing it worked any hours.

    Rather it talks about norms and understanding.

  8. Wow! Reading comprehension must have gone the way of the dust bin.

    Every comment here makes no sense as to what the story was about.

    Inish is actually correct.

    The document CLEARLY states in bullet point one.

    It does NOT clearly state what eligibility means. (Just as I originally posted.)

    Does anyone understand English anymore?

    Cal puts some information out there and instead of looking for truth, or understanding a problem presented, everybody is piling on about their own personal gripes.

    How does this solve anything?

    Looks like a lot of back biting in here.

  9. I’m not aware that there is a procedure for county board members to introduce ordinances the way there is for state legislators to do so.

  10. Good point Cal !

    Maybe someone can respond to that who has looked up the answer & can quote it from a document that defines this issue.

    No speculation please !

    And NO, don’t think mileage should be done away with as long as it is accurately documented.

    Pensions & healthcare should be gone.

  11. Jack Franks number one ally?

    Republicans tearing each other down?

  12. Is Jack laying the groundwork for County Board Chair or perhaps more likely, States Attorney?

  13. The time to discuss the issue of IMRF for Board members is NOT now!

    The time is when salaries are set for the next Board which will be elected in 2018 (fall next year).

    How about we concentrate on lobbying for a change in the Constitution to eliminate the Public sector pension guarantee and while we are at it make it unconstitutional for an elected official to receive a public sector pension?

  14. Pablo576

    I can only assume that your comments about the “government pension” Andrew receives is focused on his pension as a result of serving in both The US Airforce and The US Navy.

    As I read your ridiculous comments it occurred to me there are one of three potential reasons you wrote those comments

    1 You know Andrews pension is a result of his Military service and you dislike those who served in our military

    2. You know Andrews pension is a result of his Military service and you are misleading those on this blog for some reason known only to you

    3. You don’t know that Andrews pension is a result of his LONG military career in two branches of OUR military because you did no research. You just wanted to fire a written missle at someone. Why is completely unclear.

    Which one is your reason for attacking Andrew?

    Additionally, ad-hominem attacks always demonstrate that the attacker has no real viable statement to make so they just try to bully whomever they are attacking.

    Clearly, that is the case with your post.

    To set the record straight.

    Andrew DECLINED both the pension and the Cadillac health care from the county.

    BTW, that was a fulfillment of a campaign promise he made, which he completed almost immediately upon election.

    That is a very powerful statement that Andrew follows through on his promises, with INTEGRITY.

  15. Questioning,

    I absolutely agree with your thoughts about changing the constitution and whatever else needs to be changed to eliminate the pensions for elected or appointed county and township positions.

    If the position is full time, there should be discussion about health care, but it should not be a Cadillac version.

    It should be competitive with whatever would be available in the private sector.

  16. What Congress does for health insurance:

    Employer will pay for Silver ACA plan, or nothing.

    Employees may reject silver plan and buy their own (not tax deductible).

  17. Does Jack Franks practice criminal law?

    If not, what does he do when he goes to the courthouse?

  18. Tired of the Old Guard: Why stop with county and township?

    How about library board, Park Districts, Municipalities, schools, colleges, etc.?

    In other words, ALL elected offices.

  19. If you are ready to run for one of those offices, please get in touch.

  20. I am jus stating facts the fact that you are defending gas bag (gasser) says you are either him

    Or someone he is supporting.

    The fact remains he is collecting a pension and a hefty one at that.

  21. A pension from the military is after 20years of full time service at wages below the minimum wage us you divide your enlisted salary by the 24 hours a day you work while deployed.

    Hardly the same as sitting in 2 meetings a month for 10 years.

    Making btw more per years than an E2

  22. Questioning.

    I agree.

    We should focus on removing pensions for every elected and or appointed office at every level of government including the fed.

    We should review the practices for teacher and school administrators too.

  23. Inish,
    A E2 also gets room and board too as part of the deal, and if married and living off post an allowance which is also not recorded as pay.

    When not deployed in a combat zone a military dudes JOB is like a 8 hour day, often filled with dead time or busy work.

    Back in my time to get 20 years in service, you had to be at least a E6, not sure about O grade officers.

    A E5 would be forced out by 18 years and get no pension, unless that change some time after my time.

    Retired military get VA healthcare also, which is a mixed bag depending on where you live, but still a benefit.

    Your last line is kind of a weak argument.

  24. Nob,I believe anyone who has military service and an honorable discharge is eligible for VA healthcare.

  25. Grumpy Grandpa

    Yes they are, but some get it free like retired and service related disabled.

    Some have to pay like a copay or deductible kind of like medicare. 🙂

  26. Stand4truth

    So are you stating Andrew Gasser is not recovering a military pension?

    Are you stating he is receiving some other government pension?

    If so, what other “hefty” pension is he receiving?

    Where did you get this information?

    Live up to your screen name and share facts, not just statements absent details and sources.

    It sounds to me like you are just a whiner without a fact to your name.

    Are you a republican?

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