Saturday coffee.
Dawn Hochsprung. Principal at Sandy Hook. The Sandy Hook Book Fairy reads to first graders.
We woke to a gloomy Chicago morning.
Ulysses and I took our morning walk in the dampness of a light drizzle that promises to turn to real rain and possible thunder later in the day.
Uly doesn’t like thunder. What dog does?
After the events of yesterday it would be a gloomy morning anyway
Yet some sunshine would have helped.
I tried to stay off the news yesterday. But in this world of social networking it is awfully hard. My daughter smartly said she was keeping my grandkids away from news reports of the Connecticut murders of kindergarten children. Yet I wonder how a parent is able to do that.
My Facebook status page was filled with the full range of reactions, from angry calls for gun control to the
Every public employee with a state pension should read this report on cash balance programs.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 17 hours ago
Ending the defined benefit pension system is one of the agenda items in Illinois. Monique Morrissey of the Economic Policy Institute reports on the specifics of Louisiana. But the dangers of the Cash Balance Plan apply to many states, including Illinois. With Congress mired in partisan gridlock, states are serving as laboratories for retirement policy [...]
Illinois unions say that they want state revenue issue addressed. “White Paper” to be released on Monday.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 21 hours ago
I’m calling a press conference. I got a dozen friends who agree with me about pensions.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 1 day ago
And the press falls for this bullshit. CHICAGO — College students are joining Gov. Pat Quinn in calling for pension reform, saying it’s vital to ensuring access to higher education. More than a dozen students appeared at a press conference with Quinn Wednesday. They said they rely on the state’s Monetary Award Program scholarships to [...]
Student power. Chicago’s King College Prep shut down by peaceful protest.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 1 day ago
Sun-Times: By word of mouth and social networking sites, students organized the massive protest in less than 12 hours. By 8 a.m., students sat together in the Kenwood neighborhood school’s foyer before they moved to the gymnasium, where they spent hours before being told to go back to class.Student leaders stayed behind to speak with [...]
Quinn turns creepy with his pension campaign.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 1 day ago
Some of my colleagues are outraged. I understand. But I find it just creepy. And who are the parents who let their kids do this video? First Illinois Governor Pat Quinn launched his campaign against teacher pensions with a child’s toy: Squeezy the pension cobra. That was more pathetic than anything else. Now he is [...]
The ten minute drawing. Ella Baker. Born: December 12, 1903. Died: December 13, 1986.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 1 day ago
Click on drawing to enlarge.
Logan Square needs a military school? Says who?
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 2 days ago
Logan Square on the northwest side of Chicago has been our home since 1975. We raised our kids here. We bought a home here. We have known many of our neighbors for decades, watching their kids grow up, leave home and have kids of their own. Logan Square is one of those neighborhoods whose geographical [...]
Part two of Glen Brown’s message to Representative Elaine Nekritz and the 20 other sponsors of HB6258. A contract is a contact.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 2 days ago
By Glen Brown Illinois Pension Reform Is Without Legal and Moral Justification By legal definition, a contract is “an agreement creating obligations enforceable by law… The law provides remedies if a promise is breached or recognizes the performance of a promise as a duty. Contracts arise when a duty does or may come into existence [...]
Former Enron trader and Obama funder is behind public pension privatization.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 2 days ago
Former Enron trader and hedge fund manager John Arnold. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that John Arnold, former trader for the scandal-ridden, now-bankrupt Enron Texas energy company as well as a major backer of President Obama, is a also a major financial angel for the campaign to privatize public employee pensions. After making a [...]
There is no mistaking who the enemy is in Michigan. But Democratic Party actions in Illinois undercut their expressions of concern.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 2 days ago
On a stop in Michigan earlier this week President Obama, commenting on the Michigan Tea Party Republicans plans to pass a bill outlawing the union shop, said, “We should do everything we can to keep creating good middle-class jobs that help folks rebuild security for their families. What we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take [...]
John Dillon. Let’s hope our leaders don’t take the bait.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 2 days ago
John Dillon: Ellen Schultz warns in Retirement Heist, offering options is a ploy used in the private sector quite successfully. “To enhance their chances at success, some companies started to use a strategy…creeping take-aways.“ This involves taking small steps – increase premiums a small amount, or perhaps start charging premiums in the future. The retirees [...]
Illinois ranks third in the US in cuts to mental health services. Chicago school kids are being hit hard.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 3 days ago
In a report that is a shocking indictment of the way Illinois and Chicago treats its young people who face mental health issues, Sarah Karp reports in Catalyst: Troubled children, in fact, are often caught between a mental health system that is stretched thin and a parent who has trouble making time to deal with [...]
To Representative Elaine Nekritz and the other sponsors of HB6258. Glen Brown in two parts. Today: The constitution protects our pensions.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 3 days ago
By Glen Brown. Defending and Protecting Public Employees’ Pensions against the Legislative Siege Eric M. Madiar (2012), Chief Legal Counsel to Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton and Parliamentarian of the Illinois Senate, states: “Pension benefits are under siege for two reasons: opportunity and political motives (p. 179)… [Legislators] frame [the] larger discussion of whether the law provides states with [...]
Pension Call Tuesday. Send your legislator a holiday card with a pension message.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 3 days ago
So you’ve called your IEA Regional office and made a reservation on the bus to Springfield, January 3rd. Or, you just can’t make it to Springfield (you better have a real good excuse), but you want to do something. Here’s the plan. Send the sponsors of of the Nekritz bill a holiday card. Rep. Elaine Nekritz - Daniel [...]
Ten minute drawing. Sound fiscal policy.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 3 days ago
Click on image to enlarge.
Michigan. Illinois. Injustice doesn’t take a winter break and neither can we. (Updated)
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 4 days ago
Thousands of Michigan union members and supporters are marching on the state capital in Lansing this morning. It is cold. But the fight against injustice doesn’t take a winter break. You can call Michigan Governor Rick Snyder at 517-373-3400 and tell him you stand with Michigan’s working families. Michigan is the birthplace of the United Auto [...]
Retired teachers need to get to Springfield on January 3rd.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 4 days ago
When I retired in June I joined IEA Retired. The folks in Springfield assigned me to the Skokie chapter of IEA Retired. The catch is that there is no Skokie chapter of IEA Retired. But there ARE 400 members of IEA Retired in the Skokie area who COULD be members if… Well, anyway. Today we [...]
Nekritz, Biss, Gabel, et al. Meet the IL legislators who want to destroy teacher pensions.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 4 days ago
The ten minute drawing. Sacrifice.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 4 days ago
Click on drawing to enlarge.
The in box. Glen Brown on defending our pensions from a legislative siege.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 5 days ago
“[Nonetheless, there are those among us who want to abandon] “the fundamental principle that the rules of the game for contracting parties are not to be changed midstream… This is especially hard to comprehend when public employees have diligently and faithfully paid their contributions while their government employers have failed to pay their required share. [...]
Once again, TRS Executive Director Richard Ingram says we need sacrifice. What he doesn’t say? Teachers already have.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 5 days ago
Teacher Retirement System’s Richard Ingram pens a commentary in the Trib calling on sacrifice to make TRS solvent. Sacrifice by whom? He only hints at what he thinks is the answer. But by refusing to say, one must assume he is doing what all politicians do when they call for sacrifice. Sometimes they say “shared [...]
The Sunday Mail.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 5 days ago
No snow yet. Chicago has never gone snowless this late in the season. An art student at Cooper Union uses the people’s mic. Repeat this out loud and have the person next to you repeat what you said. And so on. You know the drill. Are teachers and public schools a threat to national security? [...]
The in box. An important note to both current and retired teachers about cash balance retirement plans.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 6 days ago
Glen Brown: If you are currently teaching, and it comes to pass that a Cash Balance Plan is in place (with a choice which is doubtful), understand the financial consequences when you retire: a smaller annuity; if you are already retired, understand the effects that the Cash Balance Plan will inevitably have on your pension: the necessary [...]
The in box. Who are you?
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 6 days ago
Mark Stefanik is veteran middle school Language Arts teacher. He is a member of the IEA and the Park Ridge Education Association. Who Are You? I’m no lawyer…BUT… Why aren’t we pursuing criminal charges for politicians who voted for ‘payment holidays’? Even that source of toxic emission, Ty Fahner, has admitted that laws were broken. [...]
Guest blog. Cost shift is the acid test of independence for Southland Democrats.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 6 days ago
The following commentary is from the Southland Star. It is written by my good friend and colleague, Jerry Mulvihill, a 5th grade teacher in my old school district. Jerry lives in Alsip, is a former school board member, public school and union activist and father of two students in Southland public schools. From what I hear, [...]
The in box. Getting the word out about Springfield rally.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 6 days ago
All IEA Retired Members served by the IEA Skokie Office will be receiving postcards early next week – please see attached. Please call the Skokie Office (847-329-7756) to reserve a spot on the bus, and invite family, friends, former colleagues, etc. IEA membership is not required – the bus, donuts/coffee, and lunch are donated by [...]
Saturday coffee.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 6 days ago
Chicago teachers marched past Marshall High School during the strike. Anne and I took two cars to Peets this morning. After my latte and bagel I headed off to Marshall High School on Chicago’s west side. The CTU and other community and parent groups are meeting all day today to talk about the next steps. [...]
Illinois Retired Teacher Association Executive Director James Bachman on the Nekritz bill.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 6 days ago
IRTA Executive Director Jim Bachman wrote this letter to the editor regardng the HB6258, the Nekritz Bill. IRTA members should contact local IEA Region offices to reserve a free seat on one of the buses going to Springfield on January 3rd. The bus from the north suburbs will be leaving Golf Mill around 6AM and [...]
The in box. Glen Brown comments on my post: The impact of benefit cuts.
Fred Klonsky at Fred Klonsky - 1 week ago
…If legislators can breach contractual obligations through legislation (such as HB 6258), the entire middle class will “pay” the consequences. There will be extensive and devastating economic outcomes for the entire State of Illinois if its public employees are robbed of their earned and constitutionally-guaranteed benefits. The attack on public employees is an attack on [...]
