The in box. Voting no on Constitutional Amendment 49. « Fred Klonsky

The in box. Voting no on Constitutional Amendment 49. « Fred Klonsky:

The in box. Voting no on Constitutional Amendment 49.

by Fred Klonsky

 

A LETTER FROM THE RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO

ARRIVED THIS MORNING WITH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE:

ON NOVEMBER 6 ILLINOIS CITIZENS WILL VOTE TO ACCEPT OR

REJECT AN AMENDMENT TO THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION THAT WILL

ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR PENSION PLAN AND THOSE OF OTHER

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE IN OUR STATE OF ILLINOIS.

IT IS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #49.

THE RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO AND 16 OTHER

EDUCATIONAL AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSED THE PROPOSAL

IN THE SPRING 2012 SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE.  STILL, IT WAS ADOPTED

BY THE HOUSE AND SENATE.

INSTEAD OF A SIMPLE MAJORITY, AMENDMENT #49 WILL REQUIRE A 3/5THS

MAJORITY IN THE LEGISLATURE OR OTHER BENEFIT-GRANTING ENTITY

TO AWARD A BENEFIT TO ANY PUBLIC EMPLOYEE.  THIS WILL MAKE A

CHANGE IN OUR PENSIONS OR OTHER BENEFIT LAWS VERY DIFFICULT TO

ENACT…….FOREVER.

THE EXACT WORDING OF THE AMENDMENT WILL BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT,

BUT YOU CAN READ IT NOW WORD-FOR-WORD AT THE INTERNET SITE

ILGA.gov AND SEARCH FOR “CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #49″.

WE URGE YOU TO VOTE …NO… ON THE AMENDMENT AND PASS THIS MESSAGE

ON TO YOUR FAMILIES AND ANY FRIEND OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, TO WHICH WE

HAVE DEVOTED OUR WORKING LIVES.  NO TAX MONIES WERE EXPENDED TO

SEND THIS MESSAGE.

Signed by Steven A. Kiles, President and James Ward, Legislative Chair

(Retired Teachers Association of Chicago – 1 312-939-3327).

Ten minute drawing: Quinn on seniors.

by Fred Klonsky

November.

by Fred Klonsky

PopoutThere is a certain conventional wisdom, fear, pessimism and fatalism about what the Illinois General Assembly will do to those of us in public employee pensions after the November elections.
I’m for vigilance and action.
But I have no use for fatalism or any of the rest of it.
This is the conventional wisdom: The General Assembly could not get it together in May or on August 17th for