Illinois teacher pensions. Zero hour.
Public employees occupy the Illinois Capitol last week to defend pensions.
The Chicago edition of the New York Times carries a story by the Chicago News Cooperative on this week’s final three days of the Illinois General Assembly veto session.
It’s a shitty story co-written by Kristen McQueary. McQueary has made a career in journalism out of bashing Illinois teachers. And today’s story will not mark a turn in her career. It assumes the pension crisis positions of GOP House leader Tom Cross and Ty Fahner of the corporate one percenters in the Civic Committee as truth.
McQueary is the Judith Miller of the Illinois pension story. Miller was the NY Times reporter that wrote the lies about weapons of mass destruction that aided George Bush in justifying the invasion of Iraq and his ten-year war.
The good news take-away from the Times story?
The Civic Committee has spent millions of dollars to push this bill through. And the outcome is still unknown.
Nobody knows for sure if Democratic Party House Speaker has the 30 votes he needs.
Oh. I’m pretty sure Madigan knows. But he ain’t saying.
Maybe the IEA Government Relations head counters know. But they’re being quiet too. They’ve gone from don’t worry, be happy two weeks ago to code red last week.
Here’s the deal: Take nothing for granted. Assume nobody is a lock one way or the other. Call today, tomorrow and keep calling through adjournment. 1 888 412 6570. Follow the prompts. “Don’t mess with our TRS.”
What is true in the Times piece?
Union members are flooding lawmakers’ offices with phone calls and angry e-mails. Hundreds of state workers, teachers and police officers staged a protest
