From Jim Tobin, Taxpayers United of America:
OUTRAGEOUS GOVERNMENT-EMPLOYEE PENSIONS HARMING McHENRY COUNTY TAXPAYERS!
The Taxpayer Education Foundation (TEF) today released its study of the McHenry County area government-employee pensions, highlighting the top pensions in
- the Teachers Retirement System (TRS),
- the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) and
- the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF).
Taxpayers United of America (TUA) issued the following statement based on the TEF pension study.
“It is no mystery what’s driving the economy-killing property tax increases in McHenry County,” said Jim Tobin, TUA president.
“It’s the state’s lavish, gold-plated pension plans for retired government employees.”
“The perpetual tax increases that plague Illinois residents have nothing to do with children, roads, or services.
“They are about pensions for the privileged government class.
“This money may be ‘earmarked’ for buildings or whatever, but in reality it only frees up increased taxes for government pensions.
“It’s a shell game.”
“Those of us in the private sector must reduce our spending if our income decreases; we can’t just go to our employer and demand more money to fund irresponsible spending. That’s not true for the political class.”
“The IMRF pension fund, which gives lavish, gold-plated pension benefits to retired municipal employees, is subsidized by property taxes. If that isn’t bad enough, IMRF pensioners are also eligible to receive Social Security pensions.”
“The entire local and statewide pension system in Illinois is unsustainable. The other five statewide pension funds are partly funded by the state income tax. Democrat Governor Jay Robert ‘J. B.’ Pritzker and his tax-raising cronies want to stick it to middle class taxpayers by increasing the state income tax again. They placed, on the November 2020 ballot, another statewide income tax increase.
What does a statewide income tax increase mean for you? It means stealing from you to subsidize government pension millionaires.”
“The federal graduated income tax was sold to taxpayers as ‘a tax cut for the middle class.’ How did that turn out?”
“The state government employee pension system is the single cause of Illinois’ critical financial situation and it is mathematically impossible to tax our way out of this situation.”
“When you look at what the individual government retirees are actually collecting in taxpayer-funded pensions, you can get a better idea of why this theft of taxpayer wealth is so outrageous.
“Keep in mind that the average taxpayer will collect only about $17,500 a year from Social Security.”
“Here are some egregious examples.”
“Kirk Reimer retired from Crystal Lake Park District at the age of 55. His current IMRF annual pension is $104,096. His estimated lifetime pension is $987,511 over a normal lifetime. He also is eligible for a Social Security pension.”
“Ronald Miller retired from Crystal Lake CCSD 47 at the age of 55. His current annual pension is $185,140. For a total contribution he made to his pension of only $284,287, he will accumulate $6,435,383 in taxpayer funded pension payments over a normal lifetime.”
“Teresa Lane retired from McHenry CHSD 156 at the age of 55. Her current annual pension is $158,038. For a total contribution she made to her pension of only $183,460, she will accumulate $5,777,191 in taxpayer funded pension payments over a normal lifetime.”
“Christine Harris retired from Crystal Lake CCSD 47 at the age of 54. Her current annual pension is $150,228. For a total contribution she made to her pension of only $210,249, she will accumulate $5,657,601 in taxpayer funded pension payments over a normal lifetime.”
Click Here to view top McHenry County government pensions or view them below:
“The Illinois government in Springfield has failed us. It’s in everyone’s best interest to solve the pension problem before the system completely collapses. It is no longer a matter of ‘if’ it will collapse, but when.”
“All new hires should be placed into 401(k) style retirement savings accounts. Member contributions to their retirement funds should be increased. Retirement age for full benefits should be increased to at least 65, preferably to 67, and contributions for health care also should be increased. Anything short of these reforms will do nothing to permanently solve the problem.”
Why no one from Crystal Lake-Cary Grove #155?
I’ve asked Jim Tobin why Crystal Lake High School District 155 retirees are not on the list.
Outrageous!
Somehow, some way Illinois needs to go through bankruptcy and then haircuts for all who receive lavish pensions.
If this present situation just goes on and on and on, then the children now in grammar school and high school when adults will be the worker chumps paying extremely high taxes to support their former teachers and administrators. These are the people that need to rise up. Organize the children. At least those in high school to warn them what awaits unless drastic measures are implemented.
Just a reminder that your tax fighter cal collects around 105,000 per year for doing very little for anyone.
Plus some of you voluntarily added to his wealth by “donating” to his political war chest.
Dispicable I would be ashamed to tell anyone this knowing that your sucking off the common man back! What a toilet hole
I recognize administrators, principals and even some teacher names from that list….
I feel sleazy now after reading this, as if I have contributed to a lavish lifestyle that the common man, who pays their salaries will never attain–curious how many of them stay around here with those fat pensions, most head to Florida, Arizona, and now Nashville.
We’re getting ripped off—401ks for us, lavish 6 figures pensions for life for them…
no wonder this State is broke and this Countys Property taxes are through the roof on a comparative basis to anywhere else.
This list should be printed by every candidate who claims they’re running on; balanced budget, property tax too high, and out of control spending…
enough of the crybaby Teacher and other Unions holding residents hostage…
401k push time…
this has to end.
Let these overpaid leeches enjoy what they were promised unless or until it goes belly up–but time to start a new retirement plan that matches the Private sectors—you are on your own.
Your’re teachers, do the math and figure it out.
You’re killing us all with this kind of compensation.
Always known it, just sucks when you actually see the real numbers.
Its always the School District accounting for the largest increase too…
now we know why–
Greed under the guise of “new roofs”.
After reading this, I can feel myself getting dumber for every minute I continue to live here.
Maybe I can sue the retired teachers to get my school tax money back, with this as proof that they failed to properly educate me.
Ask about D 200. Susan always talks about it.
Bernotas and Gough, real peices of Sh**.
Tough once told me he could be making twice as much in other school districts….. like he was giving Johnsburg his charity.
When Eddie Hetterman said we shouldn’t publicize Gough’s bloated salary, and I asked why not, Ed said people would get the ‘wrong idea.’
BS!
How many are registered sex offenders, democrats, losers?
My bet: 5%, 98%, 100%
Talking hasn’t been helpful.
D200 has gotten worse.
The only positive result of research uncovering D200 malfeasance has been litigation, which forced D200 to stop doing that particular taxpayer-protection evasion.
Therefore I suggest we spend time on proactive measures to detect malfeasance and seek judicial review .
Really an eye opener.
These people stood from us and continue to do so and its all legal with our home values being liquidated to pay for them sunning themselves in Florida, AZ and Costa Rica.
Living like lords and duchesses.
Not ‘stood from us’ s/b ‘stole from us’
And their ‘service wasn’t that great either.
Bernotas’ own brother, the one w/ the video business called him an overpaid flunkey.
Time to start asking EVERY candidate running at EVERY level of Government, at Debates, in writing, or asking directly—
“what is your position on public servants (teachers, LEO, Fire, Public Works, etc) continuing to get pay and benefits, especially PENSIONS that are no longer in line with the Private Sector, but we the Public keep funding through HUGE Property Tax increases?
When will Guaranteed Public Pensions be replaced with self managed 401k programs like it is for the vast majority of those who fund these Pay and Benefit packages?.
It will scare the lot of them because they, like Chicago and State Politicians goosestep to them for votes and power because they are Unionized and Organized.
I think the first to do this could start a mini revolt–if they dare to.
Until then expect more of the same, false rhetoric, yet steadily increasing Property Taxes to support their guaranteed for Life Lifestyles.
Every local candidate should be presented this Pension Payout, increases and estimated lifetime cost and asked about it…
Would guess that the vast, vast majority of real estate tax payers in our County are not even aware of the outrageously high pension amounts of many of these retirees.
Some how, some way – and it would be difficult and costly – it would be positive to get a complete list of the retirees and their pension amounts into the hands of every real estate tax payer in our County. Either electronically by email or by U.S. Mail.
Sick sick sick
We pay these human rats to urinate on us and indoctrinate kids.
Simply appalling