Am I qualified to piss? All you need is a bladder that can’t hold no more.
Fred,
It sure is easy to set (sic) back and “piss and moan” about what other people are doing. Yes, Bob Haisman was able to post a pension petition, but he went through the proper procedures and got approval. Just because Brown’s petition was not aprroves (sic), “he didn’t go through proper procedures” you are making negative comments about the president of the IEA. What have you done as a member of the organiztion (sic)? Have you been an active member, a regional council, on the IEA Board of Directors, a delegate to the IEA-RA or the NEA-RA. The IEA is our (the members) organization. Just because things don’t do (sic) the way that you would like them to go doesn’t give you the right to go over board
Glen Brown responds to IEA President Cinda Klickna.
Blogger and pension activist Glen Brown responds to President Klickna.
First, let’s re-read the petition:Dear Cinda,
Illinois Revenue and Debt Reform, Not Pension Reform!
Many Illinois legislators want to challenge both Illinois and U.S. Constitutions instead of addressing the causes of the state’s budget deficits. Illinois public employees have earned their pension. Their pension is a constitutionally-guaranteed contract. That’s why I created a petition to The Illinois State House, The Illinois State Senate, and Governor Pat Quinn, which says:
“Illinois has a pension debt and revenue problem. Most legislators know this, and they also understand the concept of justice and what lawfulness demands: that people must keep their covenants with one another. No justice is accomplished when diminishing public employees’ earned benefits and rights because of decades of legislators’ irresponsibility, corruption and incompetence. Stop Illinois pension reform. It is immoral and illegal.”
IEA President Cinda Klickna: It’s not what the petition says. It’s the people who wrote it. Welcome back Joe McCarthy.
A reader sends along Cinda’s explanation for banning members’ petition on pensions.
Cinda Klickna, Leo Durocher and Joe McCarthy.
There is an old story, maybe true, about the Cubs (Dodgers and Giants too) manager Leo Durocher.
Leo was famous for getting into fights with umpires. One day he went out to argue a call and the umpire told him, “Leo, if you say one word, I’m throwing you out.”
Leo was reported to have said, “What if I just think it? You can’t throw me out for thinking something.”
The umpire said, “Well, I guess I can’t throw you out for thinking something.”
I’ve had a couple of inquiries about why IEA has declined to formally support or promote a member’s e-petition on the pension issue. Let me explain:
The short answer is that the petition in question is not reflective of the IEA/We Are One Illinois coalition position on the pension issue.
The petition reflects its drafters’ very strongly held belief that we (IEA and the coalition) should not be trying to negotiate a solution to the pension problem. While anyone is entitled to hold an opinion on the pension issue, the view expressed in the petition conflicts with the position of the IEA officers, the IEA board and with the other members of the coalition (including any who might have signed the petition).
It also, most importantly, conflicts with the opinion of our members, who have told us repeatedly,
Cinda Klickna, Leo Durocher and Joe McCarthy.
There is an old story, maybe true, about the Cubs (Dodgers and Giants too) manager Leo Durocher.
Leo was famous for getting into fights with umpires. One day he went out to argue a call and the umpire told him, “Leo, if you say one word, I’m throwing you out.”
Leo was reported to have said, “What if I just think it? You can’t throw me out for thinking something.”
The umpire said, “Well, I guess I can’t throw you out for thinking something.”