Author: Charles McBarron

The budget passed in the Illinois General Assembly this week cut education and human service providers and has a gaping fiscal hole in it.   We’re still waiting for the smoke to clear to get a clear understanding of what’s been cut, but there is near-unanimous agreement that the budget passed this week is unbalanced and irresponsible.

But it doesn’t have a tax increase, so some will claim that it’s the best budget possible.

The state senate will soon return to try to pass a bill to borrow $4 billion to allow the state to make its required payment to the pension systems.

Borrowing to pay for pensions, incredibly, is the most responsible option.  Since the legislature refuses to increase revenues, the only alternative would be to declare a “pension holiday,” which would cost taxpayers billions more and further weaken the systems.

What a state we’re in.

The Southtown’s Phil Kadner observes that state government’s reputation is such that, when a lawmaker changes a position, eveyone believes the change was the result of a political deal as opposed to a belief that changing the vote is “the right thing to do.”

Case in point, Rep. David Miller (D-Lynwood) who voted “No” on the pension-borrowing proposal, then switched his vote after the measure appeared  about to fall one vote short of passage in the House.

After his “No” vote, Rep. Miller met with Speaker Michael Madigan and Gov. Pat Quinn.  A short time later, when a second vote was held, he voted “Yes.”

Interestingly, Miller said the Madigan, Quinn meetings weren’t the deciding factor,

He said House Republican Leader Tom Cross railed against the plan in a partisan fashion. He heard some of his Democratic colleagues discussing a possible tax increase or budget cuts as solutions to the state’s deficit.

“But those things weren’t going to happen,” Miller said. “They weren’t realistic alternatives because there were not enough votes to pass any of them.

“And the more I listened to that, the more I realized that unless we act like mature adults here, we’re never going to come up with a solution. We’re going to drive the state to insolvency.”

Kadner says the negative reaction to Miller’s decision to do “the right thing” speaks volumes about the state of our state’s politics.

It has become impossible to believe that any elected official in Illinois would do anything just because he thought it was the right thing to do.

And maybe that’s worse than the budget crisis itself.

No members of the legislature emerged from this month’s activities with an enhanced reputation, but for a House member from a wealthy Chicago suburb, this has been a most unmerry month of May.

May sorry

Karen May (D-Highland Park) was among a group of Democrats who announced a plan to cut the state budget which, some believe, is needed to pave the way for a tax increase.

Nothing wrong with that.  We’ve been saying for sometime that a “balanced approach, involving cuts more revenue” is needed to get Illinois back on solid financial footing.

However, Rep. May, for some reason, went into last Monday’s news conference with an attitude that seemed quite tone-deaf to thousands of Illinoisans living on fixed incomes:

“As much as we love our retirees, this is a tough-love exercise,” said Rep. May. “They have to feel the pain.

We’re guessing that it was Rep. May who experienced some discomfort through contacts from retirees.  By the end of the week she had retreated:

“I would have, could have, should have, said, ‘We must all share the pain,’” May clarified Wednesday. “If it came out differently, I apologize.”

“If?”

Oh, well.  We’ll accept the apology anyway.

The Illinois General Assembly is trying to finish its work and adjourn for the summer, but major issues remain unresolved despite passing a state budget earlier this week.

Pension payment?

The Illinois House this week voted to borrow nearly $4 billion needed for the state to make its scheduled payment to the pension systems.

Borrowing was the best option since the most likely alternative would be for the state to take a “pension holiday” and forgo the payment until next year, weakening the pension systems and incurring billions of dollars in additional debt.

To ensure the pensions are paid as promised, the Illinois Senate needs to approve the House plan to borrow. That is no slam-dunk. Doug Finke at Gatehouse reports

“I have been told there are no votes in the Republican caucus for borrowing,” said Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, one of the Democrats’ budget negotiators.

The Senate did not return to Springfield until late Wednesday afternoon and did not take up any budget issues. Both parties planned to hold private meetings with members Wednesday to talk over positions on the remaining budget issues.

Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said Republicans have not yet taken a position on the pension borrowing bill.

“The governor called me (Tuesday). I said I will consider it. Right now, I haven’t ruled it out or decided to support it,” Bomke said.

It’s worth noting that Bomke represents Springfield and thousands of state workers who want their pensions funded.

What can IEA members do?

Keep in touch by checking the IEA Website and the IEA Twitter feed and the IEA facebook page. It might become necessary to urge IEA members to call their senators about pension borrowing, but we’ll have a greater sense of that later.

Vouchers

The plan to divert nearly $100 million in public dollars to private and religious schools in the city of Chicago has been on life support for two weeks, but could be brought back to life on the Illinois House floor today.

The Chicago voucher bill, which was 12 votes short of passage on May 5, has been amended in an effort to make it more palatable, but the changes are merely cosmetic.

One change is that there is now a sunset provision; the voucher program supposedly would end in 2020. However, that is misleading because the amendment also states that students who have received a voucher by 2020 can continue to receive vouchers as long as they remain in school, so the voucher program could actually last beyond 2030.

Also added to the bill is a provision that says any private school whose student body is comprised of at least 20 percent voucher students must test all of their students “…in the same manner as Illinois’ public schools.”

It appears likely that the cost of such testing, if it ever occurs, would be paid by the state. Of course, there is no money budgeted for that.

What can IEA members do?

The buzz at the Statehouse is that vouchers could be reintroduced Thursday morning. Please call the Illinois Statehouse at 217/782-2000, ask for your state representative and urge that representative to oppose SB2494, the Chicago voucher bill.

What about the budget?

Since the Illinois House refuses to consider revenue in an election year, key state programs, including education, will be taking big hits.

According to this report from AP , K-12 education will be cut $585 million or nearly 8 percent, with higher education being cut 4.5 percent. Meanwhile, medical care for the poor would be cut ten percent and the Department of Children and Family Services would be cut 28.7 percent.

It’s not a coincidence that issues of great importance to education employees are being resolved at the time of year when it is hardest to mobilize IEA members. We will try to inform you in a timely fashion, but things are likely to happen quickly and perhaps without notice.

Stay in touch.

Just the facts:

• Karen May is the Democratic State Representative from Highland Park, IL
  • Highland Park, IL is a suburb north of Chicago. It is among the “Best places to live” in the U.S.
  • The median family income in Highland Park, IL – $148,131
  • Median home price in Highland Park, IL – $600,000
  • Rep. May’s legislative salary is $67,836
  • Rep. May will, someday, be able to retire and receive a pension of up to 80 percent of her final salary
  • The average retired state employee receives an annual pension of $22,000 ($1,833 per month)

Now this:

A group of Democratic legislators spoke up Monday in favor of further cost-cutting as lawmakers resumed their efforts to piece together a new spending plan from the wreckage of Illinois’ budget.

The group called for about $1.3 billion in cuts, including $300 million from education and $300 million from administrative costs.

Among the leaders of the group was Rep. May, who said retired government employees need to pay more for their health care.

“As much as we love our retirees, this is a tough-love exercise,” said Rep. Karen May, D-Highland Park. “They have to feel the pain.

Feel free to discuss.

This is expected to be the final week of the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly.  The Democratic majority wants to avoid an extended session because, if no balanced budget is passed by midnight on May 31, a 3/5 vote (instead of a simple majority) is needed to pass a state budget.  That would require members of both political parties to work together, something we haven’t seen for a while.

So, what’s going to happen?

The state is broke.  IEA continues to advocate for HB 174, the comprehensive tax reform proposal that would allow Illinois to get back on the road to fiscal health by reducing some of the deficit and providing the revenue needed to fund education and essential services.

Will HB 174 pass?

There are no indications that a House majority is ready to support an income tax increase six months before the election.  Unless the courage and vision needed to pass new revenue is unexpectedly discovered, it is likely that the next budget will contain significant budget cuts.

What happens to education funding?

Without revenue, some sort of cut seems likely, though less than $1.3 billion that was proposed months ago and, we hope, less than the $560 million recommended again Sunday by the Chicago Tribune editorial board in its weekly attack on public employee unions.

What about pension funding?

Governor Quinn on Friday reiterated his support for borrowing to make the $3.6 billion pension payment. The State Journal-Register editorializes that making the pension payment should be the state’s top priority.

Delaying the payment will cost the state $37 billion in lost compounding interest over the next 35 years. Borrowing the money would cost the principal amount — $3.6 billion — plus hundreds of millions in interest. While more borrowing is less than ideal, it’s clear that it’s more fiscally responsible than delaying or skipping the payment to a pension system that already is the nation’s worst funded.

But House Republicans and 11 House Democrats refused earlier this month to vote for any borrowing. House Republicans want the full pension payment made without borrowing any money. At least one House Republican vote is needed to authorize borrowing because the Democrats only have 70 votes in the chamber and 71 are necessary.

Republicans are cynically playing politics with this issue, attempting to add another arrow to the quiver full of issues they hope to shoot at the Democrats in an election year.

What can/should IEA members do?

It’s likely that, between now and May 31^st, and perhaps more than once, IEA members will be asked to drop everything they’re doing, contact their legislators, and urge those officials to either pass or oppose key legislation.

It is crucial that, when the “Call to Action” is announced, as many as possible of IEA’s 133,000 members statewide receive and answer it.  So, here are some suggestions to help members stay connected:

• Visit the IEA website.  It will be updated regularly.
• Sign up for the IEA insider (email [email protected]) and the IEA Capitol Report (email [email protected]).  Make sure the newsletters get sent to the email address you are most likely to check daily.
• Become a fan of the IEA facebook page to see news updates, event announcements and chances to win prizes.
• Follow IEA on Twitter. In addition to delivering news updates, you can closely follow breaking news when we “Tweet” legislative debate or important meetings.

It wasn’t always like this

Those not of a certain age might be surprised to learn that, once upon a time, Illinois state government worked (mostly) for the people.

In his Sunday column, Mike Lawrence, longtime journalist and top aide to Jim Edgar, our last unindicted governor, reminds us that Phil Rock, the longest-serving (1979-1993) president of the state senate, presided in an era when lawmakers weren’t fixated on remaining in office.

Rock braved criticism from his own ranks in 1983 when he became the first General Assembly leader to back Gov. James Thompson’s call for an income tax increase to replenish a recession-ravaged treasury. Let Thompson and his fellow Republicans broil for a few months before we come to the table, many Democrats argued. But Rock and the General Assembly’s other top Democrat, House Speaker Michael Madigan, sat down with Thompson and the GOP legislative chieftains, Sen. James “Pate” Philip and Rep. Lee Daniels, to fashion a package that preserved vital services and stabilized state finances.

Eight years later, the same four legislative leaders helped another Republican chief executive, Jim Edgar, extend an income tax surcharge and simultaneously make budget cuts needed to close a substantial deficit while sparing at-risk children.

“I think it’s fair to say that I was not overly concerned about my tenure and people who know me will tell you that’s probably a fact,” Rock says. “I did not worry about re-election. I did not worry about hanging on to a job.”

Things aren’t like they used to be.  That’s why pressure from IEA members is so important.

Keep in touch.

We told you last week that Southtown- Star columnist Phil Kadner had offered his column as a forum for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to explain why this state is so messed up and what should be done to fix it.

The response, or lack thereof, was disappointing to Kadner, but not surprising.

I really didn’t expect Madigan (D-Chicago) to respond. If he ever decides to talk, every newspaper and TV station in the state would cover his news conference.

But Silent Mike doesn’t think the people of Illinois deserve an explanation.

Even the governor of Illinois, a member of Madigan’s Democratic Party, appears inept, befuddled and lost as he tries to figure out what the House speaker is going to do.

Kadner is not a Madigan-hater; pointing out Speaker has done good things, including standing up to utility companies trying to unreasonably jack up rates.

Also, Madigan was pretty much the only obstacle to Rod Blagojevich’s campaign to destroy Illinois.

I give Madigan his due. Still, it’s an insult to the taxpayers of this state to keep them in the dark about this financial mess.

It would harm nothing, as far as I can see, for the speaker to tell us all how he views the current situation and what he sees as the solution.

Then again, Madigan is a master politician. He must believe it’s to his advantage to say nothing.

Government runs best in Illinois when the people remain ignorant.

The Speaker will return, with his colleagues, to Springfield next week.  His actions will probably do most of the talking.

The tipoff is in the lede from Saturday’s edition of the Springfield State Journal-Register :

Should the Springfield High School Marching Band have performed at Wednesday’s pro-tax increase rally at the Illinois Capitol?  Most aren’t making a big deal out of the band’s march at the event, which drew thousands of people from around Illinois.

Based on that, you would expect that a story of such little import wouldn’t warrant much attention.  In fact, based on what the reporter wrote, one would question whether the story belongs in news section of the paper.  The editorial page would make some sense.

Yet, there it is. At the top of Page One.

Maybe that’s understandable.

Maybe it was a slow news day and nothing else happened that could have been placed in the most prominent news position in the paper.

Well, there is this on page 17:

Actually, the headline is a little misleading.  Republican gubernatorial nominee Sen. Bill Brady didn’t pay federal taxes in 2008 or 2009.  He also paid no state income taxes in 2008.

So, we have a government employee, paid with state tax dollars, making decisions about state tax policy, who wants to cut taxes and reduce funding for education and state services, who doesn’t pay taxes.

No, I see nothing newsworthy about that.  Page 17 it is.

By the way, since the paper edition was distributed, the online version of the Brady tax story has been retitled “Brady owed no federal taxes in 2008, 2009,”  a more positive spin on the same story.

Interesting.

Regarding the SHS band performance at the SOS rally day, a few things need to be said.

In the interest of full disclosure, I called the Springfield school district, extended the invitation and helped coordinate the performance with the band teacher, Kelly Goldberg, who is one of our members.   The invitation included our offer to pay for any expenses incurred.  We will be writing a check for $300.

The invitation came in spite of complaining from my daughter (flute) who thought it was a little hot for the uniforms she and her band mates were wearing that day.

Springfield High School stands just a few blocks from the Statehouse.  The school’s band program is among the best to be found anywhere and the band is often called upon to perform at major events.

For example, they performed at rally for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan eight years ago, when President George W. Bush campaigned for him.

I’m pretty sure that wasn’t front-page news.

But let’s get to the main point, which was expressed very well “after the jump,” that is, inside the paper, well away from the front page.

From my standpoint, I wouldn’t look at it as the band playing at a political rally,” said Laura Bartman, president of the Springfield High School Band Parents Association. “This was about education funding — and fine-arts programs would be the ones getting cut. But for me, this also is where we could showcase our band when there were 15,000 people and national coverage,”

Indeed.

Wednesday was a great day for those who believe that education quality is important and worth preserving.

It was also a day when the arts and music were celebrated, as they should be, as being an important part of education.

That’s a story you won’t find on Page 1.  But you should.

All IEA members are urged to contact their state legislators immediately and tell the lawmakers to oppose SB 2494, legislation that would divert $100 million from the state budget and give those dollars to private schools in Chicago.  See a brief video on the bill.

All IEA members are urged to do two things immediately:

1. Send an email to your state representative and senator telling them to VOTE NO on SB 2494.  Tell them you oppose the Chicago voucher bill and they must oppose it as well.
2. Tell at least three colleagues to go to the IEA Website and contact their legislators and urge them to VOTE NO on SB 2494, the Chicago voucher bill.

Check back the Website for updates later today.

Fifteen thousand taxpayers came to Springfield Wednesday to tell the members of General Assembly to do the job they were elected to do by raising the taxes of the protesters.

Isn’t people demanding their taxes be raised sort of a classic “Man bites dog” story, the kind of story that defines what is considered “news?”

The SOS rally received a brief wire story in the online New York Times business section.

The number of attendees was many times the number of participants of any Tea Party event.  Yet, people who are heavy users of government services (transportation, Medicare, Social Security, etc…) demanding tax cuts are considered to be some sort of significant “movement” that is reshaping our country.

Rachel Maddow used the SOS rally to make this very important point last night.   You can see the entire program here. Watching it is a sort of “sanity check” for those of us who are having trouble understanding why our state government has allowed the current budget crisis to fester for so long.

The most oft-asked question about the rally is, “Will it make a difference?” We think the answer is “yes,” because there is no reason to believe that the politicians will fix what’s wrong on their own.  They have to be asked, pushed, cajoled.  Rallies like Wednesday’s are an important part of the process.

But there is another reason to take the action that was taken in  Illinois yesterday.

As Maddow’s guest, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell stated, “If we’re going to go down in November, and I don’t think we are, but if we do, let’s go down fighting for the things we believe in.”

So, does it makes a difference?  Yes.  And, it also is something that we have to do for ourselves because it reflects our values.

Be sure to watch the Maddow story about SOS.  You might want to send the link to a friend who wonders whether all of this matters.

Nearly 5,000 IEA members from throughout Illinois were in Springfield Wednesday, among the estimated 15 thousand participants in what might have been the biggest-ever State Capitol rally of its type.  (see rally and march photos)

The Save Our Schools/Save Our State (SOS) rally, sponsored by the Responsible Budget Coalition (RBC), sought to convince lawmakers to act to end the state budget crisis. State government is facing a shortfall of $13 billion. It is estimated as many as 20,000 education employees will be laid off this August, causing larger class sizes, the elimination of music, arts and sports programs in many districts and an overall decline in education quality statewide.

“We have a crisis that is on the brink of becoming a tragedy” said IEA President Ken Swanson. “The legislature must act now.”

The best solution is for the Illinois House to pass HB 174, or something like it, which would provide a comprehensive tax reform measure. HB 174 cleared the Illinois Senate last spring but has not been voted on in the House.

“It will take revenue to save our schools and save our state,” Swanson said. “Our message to lawmakers is they must end the bad behavior that led to this crisis and address the revenue needs of the state.”

# # #

A few questions have come our way.  Here are some answers:

I attended the CARE Rally of 2007, when 8,000 people participated.  Can Wednesday’s Rally come close to that experience?

We are cautiously optimistic that this will be the biggest rally Springfield has seen in decades, with more than 13,000 attendees.  The reason for this projected turnout is the IEA involvement with the Reasonable Budget Coalition (RBC), which includes all of the major unions in Illinois (including IFT, AFSCME, SEIU) as well as scores of agencies that provide human services support to children, the mentally ill and senior citizens.

It’s going to be big.

What’s the weather forecast for Wednesday?

At this writing: sunny and 71 degrees.

Since this is a rally, will I still get to see my legislator?

If you have arranged in advance to meet with your senator and representative, there is a good chance you will have the face-to-face meeting.  However, the Statehouse has limited capacity.  If the turnout is as large as expected, at some point the State Fire Marshal might bar any new people entering the building until some have left.

Regardless, participating in Wednesday’s rally sends a clear, powerful message to every office-holder in state government: YOU BROKE IT, NOW FIX IT!

If I meet with my legislator, or if a reporter asks me a question, what should I say?

It is important that you speak from the heart about what you see in your district/building/classroom/higher education institution.  Paint a picture about what failing to fund education means to you, your students and your community.

Suggested talking points for Wednesday include:

• We need a balanced approach to this crisis:  That means budget cuts AND increased revenue.
• We support the one percent income tax increase for education but that is NOT an adequate solution.  We need comprehensive tax reform such as that found in HB 174.
• HB 174 would eliminate the need for layoffs in education.  It would allow the state to reduce the budget deficit while preserving services for children, the mentally ill and the elderly. Pass HB 174!

Why are we pushing for HB 174 and not focusing solely on the one percent increase for education?

We have been down this road before.  Until the state addresses the needs of all citizens, education will be pitted against human services and employees of state government in a fight over an ever-shrinking fiscal pie.  We need a comprehensive solution such as that found in HB 174 or its equivalent.

Is this going to make a difference?

Yes.  The state cannot forever ignore the needs of the citizens.  The only question is when will we reach the point that the members of the General Assembly (particularly Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) decide that it is worse for them to refuse to address the needs of the state than it is to raise taxes.

It’s not a question of whether to meet the needs of Illinoisans.  It’s a question of when the will to do so will be found.

On April 21^st, thousands of IEA members, joined by many thousands of other concerned citizens, will deliver the message that Illinois needs responsible action from its elected officials.  This action is a step that is absolutely necessary in order for the policymakers to come to their senses.

A big turnout Wednesday will help.

Heavy lobbying (via phone or email) by IEA members and others who aren’t able to make the trip to Springfield on Wednesday will help.

Every IEA member can participate.  If every member does, we will be successful.  It’s a matter of when.

No question.

Follow IEA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ieanea/

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/charliemcbarron/

Watch the video

Watch the video

In case you were wondering whether sane people have wrested control of the editorial board from the public employee-haters who have been in charge at the once-great, now bankrupt, Chicago Tribune for the last couple of years, the answer is “no.”

The paper’s obsession with public employee pensions remains intense, based on Sunday’s editorial.

The good news: the TRIB recently took a couple of solid shots from respected public servants over its pension obsession, particularly the insistence that Gov. Quinn and the General Assembly must cut pension benefits for active members of the state pension systems.

First, the TRIB was taken to task by the Honorable Abner J. Mikva, whose long, sterling career as a legislator and as a federal judge (I think he was once an advance man for Abraham Lincoln) makes him supremely qualified to comment on the constitutionality of the TRIB’s proposal.

Article 13 of the constitution says “membership in any retirement or pension system” of any governmental entity “shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.” Under the “plain meaning” rule that almost every judicial authority recognizes, the words speak for themselves. Every existing employee is protected against changes in benefits. That is what Illinois courts have said the words mean.

And

Even if my opinion is erroneous (I have to acknowledge that the U.S. Supreme Court told me so on a few occasions when I was a judge), there is no question that a pension reform that affected existing employees would be challenged and tied up in the courts for many years. During that period, there would be no “immediate” savings to the state. Judges, whose pension rights would be impaired if it applied to existing employees, would be making the decision. If the whole proposal were thrown out (as I think would happen) there would not be any savings any time.

In other words, “Give it up.”

Also on the attack is Illinois Senate President John Cullerton who is clearly PO’d over the TRIB hits he’s been taking after helping move the bill that reduced benefits for future state employees.

Cullerton favored negotiating an agreement with the unions, one that would not have gone nearly as far as SB 1946.  But Speaker Madigan, working with the Republican leadership, forced the issue and the Senate President went along.  Now that he’s being deservedly blasted by IEA and other employee groups for the pension attack, he doesn’t want to hear from the TRIB that his action was inadequate.

Cullerton insisted that the paper print his entire response, including his calling the TRIB editorial “riddled with inaccuracies.”  Since they wouldn’t print that, Cullerton posted his response on his website .  Among the highlights:

The Chicago Tribune’s March 20 editorial, “Last Chance,” purports to offer sound advice on the state’s current fiscal catastrophe. Instead, the editorial board’s criticisms are riddled with inaccuracies that ignore the complete set of facts that have led to our budget crisis. It makes one wonder if the Tribune’s editorial production line has either a total lack of understanding of state government, or an unfortunate agenda that disguises partisanship as journalism.

Ouch.

But rather than acknowledge that we’ve made budget cuts at all, the Chicago Tribune instead fawns over an amateur Illinois Policy Institute proposal that “would cause some heartburn.” While they play policymakers, both the Tribune and the Illinois Policy Institute fail to realize that the cuts we’ve already made are as serious as a heart attack.

It’s a dangerous game. In one breath the Chicago Tribune decries the lack of leaders willing “to make unfamiliar, uncomfortable, unpopular decisions,” but then drums up public outrage to remove from office those who’ve made the unpopular decisions.

Case in point? Senate Democrats last year passed legislation that would have generated more than $2 billion a year for public education, and provided $1.2 billion in tax breaks, including $700 million in property tax relief and more than $230 million in tax credits for Illinois’ working families.

The Tribune editorial board dismissed our plan out of hand – much like they now ignore the conservative, pro-business Civic Federation’s claim that, in addition to billions of dollars in budget cuts, the General Assembly must pass a permanent, $7.6 billion tax increase in order to become financially solvent.

The Tribune editorial writers might honestly believe they understand the budget better than the Civic Federation or the members of the General Assembly. But to characterize our response to the state’s fiscal crisis as “petrified inaction” is both delirious, and does a grave disservice to the Tribune’s readership and to those affected by the state’s fiscal failures.

So what else do the Tribune editorial writers propose? What other plans have they concocted to absolve the state of its $13 billion scarlet number?

First, they say we should violate the Illinois Constitution. The Tribune proposes we freeze previously earned pension benefits for current state employees, and reduce them going forward. Those retirement plans are constitutionally guaranteed, but that doesn’t stop the Tribune from proudly boasting the plan would save the state $2.1 billion a year.  Bravo for finding savings that will never be realized because it is unconstitutional.

It’s hard for those of us who grew up in homes where the Chicago Tribune was read faithfully to deal with the current incarnation of the paper.  Even when one disagreed with the editorial policy (which was, frankly, most of the time), there was always a belief that, at heart, the paper wanted what was best for Illinois.

Anyone still have that feeling?  Anyone?  Bueller?

Have you made your SOS Rally Day plans?

# # #

Follow IEA on Twitter http://twitter.com/ieanea/

In the early days of Monday Night Football, announcer ‘Dandy’ Don Meredith used to mock his colleagues’ claims that, “If only (someone) had (done something differently), the game would have had a different outcome.”  In response, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, in a singsong voice, would recite:

“If If’s and Butt’s were candy and nuts, oh what a Christmas we’d have!”

Which reminds us of Sunday’s Chicago Tribune editorial, which highlighted a University of Illinois study and found that, if Illinois had the same number of jobs as it had a decade ago, the state economy wouldn’t be in the toilet.

Cash-strapped Illinois would collect an additional $2.1 billion in annual tax revenue — enough to fill roughly half of its (anticipated) fiscal 2011 budget hole — if the state had as many jobs as it did a decade ago.”

If.

The editorial continues,

Factoring in population growth over the last decade, Illinois needs 600,000 new jobs just to get the employment level back to where it was. The cumulative cost to Springfield of those lost jobs: $6 billion in tax revenues through fiscal ‘09 and, barring some miracle, $10 billion through fiscal ‘11.

Regular Tribune readers won’t be surprised to learn that the Great Satan of the Illinois economy is “public employee pensions.” Those readers would be equally unsurprised by the Trib’s failure to mention that, if the legislature and past governors had not used the pension systems as a credit card, the severe underfunding that is impacting the Illinois economy wouldn’t have occurred.

One would expect a little more forthrightness from the the editorialists at the (self-described) World’s Greatest Newspaper, at least when it comes to the present and immediate future of our state.

Illinois is about to see, perhaps, 20,000 education employees get laid off.  If that happens, it will be a crushing blow to the state economy because those people, who today are taxpayers and spenders, will become reliant on state support.  In addition, states that refuse to invest in education don’t attract employers seeking a well-educated/well-trained workforce.

IF you make an appointment

The people who can do something about the disaster facing Illinois are in their home legislative district offices.  They read the Tribune editorials, so they need  to hear the other side of the story.  They need to know that motivated voters like yourself, your colleagues and the parents of the students you serve, expect the legislature to end the madness.

They need to hear this directly from you, their constituent, because, next week, lawmakers return to Springfield and will remain in session until a budget is passed.

Will that budget reflect the obsessions of the editorial page of a bankrupt media dinosaur?

Or will it be shaped in part by input from the people who are dedicated to providing a high quality education to Illinois students?

Click here for information about Back home Lobby Days .

And plan now to attend SOS Rally Day in Springfield .

Only if your voice drowns out that of the Tribune will there be a chance that lawmakers will do the right thing.  That is, if they truly care about the future of public education and the state of Illinois.

It’s a big if, but we already know what will happen if we don’t try.

Follow IEA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ieanea

The most ironic aspect of last week’s vote to slash pension benefits for future employees was that lawmakers, who often claim education employees try to avoid accountability, voted to punish innocent people for the irresponsible actions of, well, themselves.

Democratic and Republican legislative leaders, led by Speaker Michael Madigan, rammed SB 1946 though both chambers of the General Assembly. (If your legislators’ name doesn’t appear here, he/she voted for the pension proposal)

You would think the business interests who pushed for that action, the advocates for Illinois’ “haves,” would be happy.  After all, within a few hours this week, they stuck it, big time, to every future state employee, including public school teachers, higher education faculty and support staff.

But no.  The members of Illinois’ loudest unoppressed minority are not happy. From Crain’s:

Taking benefits away from workers who don’t exist yet is politically easy. Cutting the benefits of existing workers who feel entitled to them is politically hard. Unless Mr. Madigan, state Senate President John Cullerton and Gov. Pat Quinn are willing to face that political risk, pension expenses will bury the state. They can start by requiring current state workers to accept the same terms last week’s legislation imposes on new employees, such as:

• Raise the age for retirement with full pension benefits
• Reduce cost-of-living increases for pensioners
• Base pension payments on an employee’s average salary for eight of the last 10 years of employment rather than four

They should go a step further by adopting a measure Mr. Quinn once backed that would raise the amount state workers contribute to their pension plans.

Can they do that?  The answer would appear to be “no”.  Article 13,  Section 5 of the Illinois Constitution states:

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.

If that seems clear to you, congratulations.  You have a soul.

However, the editorial page of the Chicago Tribune is not similarly encumbered.

A legal analysis by Chicago’s Sidley Austin LLP concludes that, under the constitution, “(S)tatutory pension rights are not frozen in place for all eternity and may be amended to alter the parties’ relationship on a prospective basis — meaning to alter benefits to be earned in the future.” Sidley’s analysis, performed for the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, says the state’s authority in this realm is quite broad, provided it scrupulously protects benefits already earned.

We assume Sidley Austin knew, upon taking this for-hire assignment, that the Civic Committee wants very badly to go after active employees’ pensions.

Just saying.

So the attacks aren’t going to stop.  Meanwhile, it appears that 20,000 education employees could be laid off unless the members of the General Assembly deal with fixing the revenue hole they have dug for the rest of us.  When you need revenue, you cut where you can.  Then, you raise taxes.

We recently attended an NEA conference on fiscal policy where former Labor Secretary Robert Reich stated an easy-to-understand truth.  To paraphrase, Reich said the absolute worst thing a government can do in a recession is allow mass layoffs that cause thousands of citizens to stop spending.

Putting thousands of people on unemployment, turning them from taxpayers into consumers of government services, is a true recovery-killer, far worse than a tax increase.

You can already hear the “business interests” saying that this problem needs to be addressed by…wait for it….cutting unemployment benefits.

Madness.

What to do?

It is absolutely imperative that the members of the General Assembly hear from you.  The 2010 edition of Back Home Lobby Days runs through April 12.

Tell your legislators to fix the real problem by passing substantial revenue legislation, such as HB 174, to get the state back on track economically.

And plan to be in Springfield on April 21 for SOS Rally Day. It needs to be the biggest in memory.

The guys in the fancy suits are dead serious.  We need to be as well.

To say the least, this has been a trying week for not only the education community but for Illinois labor in general.

Despite intense opposition from IEA members, lobbyists and all of Illinois labor, SB 1946, which reduces pension benefits for future participants in the state pension systems including TRS and SURS, passed in both the House and Senate on Wednesday.

You can see how your legislators voted:  SB 1946 Roll Call 3-24-10 SB 1946 House Roll Call

On Thursday, President Swanson sent a letter to Gov. Quinn expressing his disgust “with the process and outcome which sent SB 1946 to your desk,” where it is expected to be signed very shortly. Read the letter to Gov. Quinn.

The process has received a lot of attention, particularly the fact that IEA and all other unions were shut out.

As Rich Miller at Capitol Fax told his subscribers:

What the unions really wanted, though, were negotiations involving all the big players, including Speaker Madigan. That way, they wouldn’t be put in the position of negotiating a deal with the governor and the Senate Democrats and then starting all over with Madigan. But Madigan never agreed to sit down with them and was cagey when asked whether Cullerton was negotiating for him.

In the end, Madigan ran his own bill without consulting the unions. Adding insult to injury, Madigan’s proposal looked an awful lot like Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno’s bill. The furor was so intense it could’ve burned down a rain forest. The unions quickly switched from compromise mode to kill mode, but to no avail.

The legislators voted knowing exactly how IEA members were feeling.  Traffic on the IEA Website is up 215 percent this week and tens of thousands of emails and phone calls were sent to legislators in the last couple of days.  We have had an unprecedented number of comments on the IEA Website.

It is clear that the passage of SB 1946 won’t be forgotten, but there are thousands of IEA members who have received RIF notices who are looking for action from their organization during the next week of “Back Home Lobbying.”

That is the topic of President Swanson’s video on the website. See the video

Please watch the IEA Website (www.ieanea.org) for new developments and urge your colleagues to do the same.  We saw this week how swiftly the legislature can move when the right people are motivated to be swift.  An easy way of staying informed is to follow IEA on Twitter: twitter.com/ieanea/

We will need to be nimble to get the results our members want and need.

Watch a brief video message from President Ken Swanson.

Illinois Education Association President Ken Swanson Wednesday blasted the Illinois House and Senate for passing a pension bill that reduces benefits for future participants in the state’s pension systems, including the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and the State University Retirement System (SURS).

The passage of SB 1946 came over the objections of the entire Illinois labor community. The bill’s proponents claimed it was needed to protect the state’s bond rating which was endangered by the poor business practices of the General Assembly and past governors.

President Swanson called on Gov. Pat Quinn to veto the bill, but that seems unlikely since Quinn had raised the bond rating as a key issue.

Swanson pointed out that lawmakers will go on their spring break next week and he urged IEA members to contact them at their home offices and “Let them know how you feel about this pension bill.”

“Now that they have taken this action, they must act to address the revenue crisis in Illinois by passing a tax increase,” Swanson said.

“A one percent increase for education is not appropriate.  This state’s problems, in education and human services, demand a more significant revenue bill, such as HB 174.  That’s got to be the next step for this General Assembly and this governor,” he added.

I suppose that we should extend the benefit of a doubt to the legislators behind the latest innovative concept for reducing costs for school districts.

Main sponsor, Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville), claims that allowing school boards to switch to a four-day school week, compensating by lengthening school days, is a reasonable response to the budget crisis.  To Black’s way of thinking, it’s a painless solution to the problem of low revenue.

So what is lost? Phil Kadner has some thoughts on that:

I can’t wait to see what school system will be the first to adopt the four-day week.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has already said he’s against it, citing the need for day care if children are at home while their parents are at work.

I have this bizarre notion that a day less of school will mean less education. And I also have the feeling you won’t see school districts in Lake Forest, Wilmette or Orland Park adopting the four-day week anytime soon.

My money would be on schools in poorer communities such as Harvey, Chicago Heights, Dolton and Markham adopting the shorter school week first.

Of course, like most things in Illinois, this has nothing to do with improving the quality of education and everything to do with saving money.

Question: Why is “cut education quality” the legislature’s answer to every financial problem in Illinois?

In a subtle reference to Jonathon Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” Kadner takes things to their logical conclusion.

If we started putting 12-year-olds back to work, businesses could save billions of dollars in labor costs and we could compete with China and India in the global economy.

U.S. corporations might start building factories in America once again. And with fewer children in school, we could cut the education budget by billions of dollars and give taxpayers money to spend on leisure activities, such as riverboat gambling.

It would be a win-win. Just suggesting another option for legislators to ponder.

On April 21st, let’s give the legislators some serious ideas to ponder. Plan to attend SOS Rally Day.

Were you, or someone you know, captured at the IEA RA? Photographer Robert Pope was hard at work at the 2010 RA. You can check out all of the great photos from the IEA RA on Flickr

The gavel fell at 12:20 pm on Saturday, ending one of the most remarkable IEA Representative Assembly’s (RA) in memory.

The 2010 RA stands out because of the resolve displayed by the more than 1,260 delegates to fight back, using all tools available, to overcome the problems facing our more than 133,000 members.

Delegates voted to empower IEA leaders to advocate to preserve the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) and the State University Retirement System (SURS) for current and future members.

Delegates not only passed a budget for the coming school year, they agreed to invest in the most significant media campaign in IEA history.  The campaign will feature statewide radio ads as well as other media such as billboards and Web advertising.  The goal, in the words of President Ken Swanson, is to “Go on offense and tell the public and policymakers the truth about who IEA members are and what we contribute to our state and communities.”  You will be hearing a lot more on this in the months to come.

Political Fireworks

The RA will also be remembered as the Fort Sumter of the 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

State Sen. Bill Brady (R) and Gov. Pat Quinn (D), went at each other hard on economic issues, with Quinn clearly stating his support for a tax increase that would reduce the need for devastating layoffs and program cuts in Illinois schools.

Brady stood by his belief that more cuts are needed in education and elsewhere to bring about a recovery, a plan that, if it was successful, would take years to generate any benefits.

On Monday, we will post the entire Brady-Quinn  discussion, which was live-streamed on the IEA Website.  As Rich Miller of Capitol Fax said, it’s a must-see.

More on the RA

The Race to the Top update presented by Executive Director, Audrey Soglin can be seen here.   Information  about awards presented at the RA is here.  And don’t miss the pictures that photographer Robert Pope shot throughout the three-day event. See them here.

The delegates worked hard this week in Rosemont.  Harder work, for all of us, is still to come.  Don’t forget, Lobby Day is April 21.