Further adventures in Bizarro World.
I will now present further evidence that we in Illinois live in Bizarro World.
Bizarro World – where everything is the opposite of what it should be.
Take Greg Hinz Crain’s column as exhibit A.
Look at what’s been happening in Springfield on the crucial issue of pension reform. This is a Republican issue if I’ve ever seen one. If you can’t count on the GOP to be the party of fiscal propriety, what can you count on? Yet the temptation to bash Democrats—and curry favor with teachers unions—has been too great to unify the party.
Thus, even though House GOP Leader Tom Cross and Senate Leader Chris Radogno have been pushing for serious cutbacks in pension benefits, no fewer
A tale of two unions.
Al Ramirez and Tammy Vinson submit CORE nominating petitions.
Yesterday representatives of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators submitted 5,000 signatures that placed the names of current CTU President Karen Lewis and her CORE colleagues on the ballot for re-election in about a month.
Her opposition, currently invisible in the fight against school closings, represents the group that was ousted by CORE in the last election.
The nominating petitions had five times the number of signatures required. They are nearly 20% of the CTU membership.
Tomorrow we will see why the current Chicago teacher union leadership has support that is deep and wide.
Thousands of teachers, students, parents and people from every neighborhood will fill the Daley Center across from City Hall and march to 125 Clark Street, the headquarters of the CPS board of education.
Our message: Every Chicago public school is our school. Support public schools. Don’t close them.
Barricades have already been erected.
As they demonstrated last Spring during the teachers’ strike, these are
The in box. Only five Democrats in the Illinois House believe in the Constitution.
From Glen Brown’s blog:
Illinois Legislators to thank for upholding the State and U.S. Constitutions.
Illinois Legislators to thank for upholding the State and U.S. Constitutions.
These 16 Senators did NOT vote yes on SB 1 and SB 35:
Jason Barickman (R) (217-782-6597, Bloomington: 309-661-2788)Tim Bivins (R) (217-782-0180, Dixon: 815-284-0045)James Clayborne (D) (217-782-5399, East St. Louis: 618-875-1212)William Delgado (D) (217-782-5652, Chicago: 773-292-0202)
Gary Forby (D) (217-782-5509, Benton: 618-439-2504)Michael Frerichs (D) (217-782-2507, Champaign: 217-355-5252)
Linda Holmes (D) (217-782-0422, Aurora: 630-801-8985)Kimberly Lightford (D) (217-782-8505)David Luechtefeld (R) (217-782-8137, Okawville: 618-243-9014)Andy Manar (D) (217-782-0228, Staunton: 618-635-2583)Wm. Sam McCann (R) (217-782-8206, Jacksonville: 217-245-0050)Kyle McCarter (R) (217-782-5755, Vandalia: 618-283-3000)Dale Righter (R) (217-782-6674, Mattoon: 217-235-6033)Chapin Rose (R) (217-558-1006, Champaign: 217-607-1853)
Martin Sandoval (D) (217-782-5304, Cicero: 708-656-2002)
John Sullivan (D) (217-782-2479, Quincy: 217-222-2295)
These 15 Representatives did NOT vote yes on 1154 (to cap current teachers’ pensionable salary), 1165 (to freeze and reduce the COLA for current teachers and retirees), and 1166 (to raise the current teachers’ retirement age). Apparently, there are only five democrats who are not controlled by Michael Madigan:
Mike Bost (R) (217-782-0387, Carbondale: 618-457-5787)Dan Brady (R) (217-782-1118, Normal: 309-662-1100)Rich Brauer (R) (217-782-0053, Springfield)Adam Brown (R) (217-782-8398, Champaign: 217-607-5104)
Jerry Costello (D) (217-782-1018, Red Bud: 618-282-7284)Norine Hammond (R) (217-782-0416, Macomb: 309-836-2707)
Chad Hays (R) (217-782-4811, Danville: 217-477-0104)Naomi Jakobsson (D) (217-558-1009, Champaign: 217-373-5000)Bill Mitchell (R) (217-782-8163, Decatur: 217-876-1968)
Donald Moffitt (R) (217-782-8032, Galesburg: 309-343-8000)
Brandon Phelps (D) (217-782-5131, Harrisburg: 618-253-4189)Raymond Poe (R) (217-782-0044, Springfield)
Wayne Rosenthal (R) (217-782-8071, Litchfield: 217-324-5200)
These 16 Senators did NOT vote yes on SB 1 and SB 35:
Jason Barickman (R) (217-782-6597, Bloomington: 309-661-2788)
Tim Bivins (R) (217-782-0180, Dixon: 815-284-0045)
James Clayborne (D) (217-782-5399, East St. Louis: 618-875-1212)William Delgado (D) (217-782-5652, Chicago: 773-292-0202)
Gary Forby (D) (217-782-5509, Benton: 618-439-2504)Michael Frerichs (D) (217-782-2507, Champaign: 217-355-5252)
Linda Holmes (D) (217-782-0422, Aurora: 630-801-8985)
Kimberly Lightford (D) (217-782-8505)
David Luechtefeld (R) (217-782-8137, Okawville: 618-243-9014)
Andy Manar (D) (217-782-0228, Staunton: 618-635-2583)
Wm. Sam McCann (R) (217-782-8206, Jacksonville: 217-245-0050)
Kyle McCarter (R) (217-782-5755, Vandalia: 618-283-3000)
Dale Righter (R) (217-782-6674, Mattoon: 217-235-6033)Chapin Rose (R) (217-558-1006, Champaign: 217-607-1853)
Martin Sandoval (D) (217-782-5304, Cicero: 708-656-2002)
John Sullivan (D) (217-782-2479, Quincy: 217-222-2295)
These 15 Representatives did NOT vote yes on 1154 (to cap current teachers’ pensionable salary), 1165 (to freeze and reduce the COLA for current teachers and retirees), and 1166 (to raise the current teachers’ retirement age). Apparently, there are only five democrats who are not controlled by Michael Madigan:
Mike Bost (R) (217-782-0387, Carbondale: 618-457-5787)
Dan Brady (R) (217-782-1118, Normal: 309-662-1100)
Rich Brauer (R) (217-782-0053, Springfield)Adam Brown (R) (217-782-8398, Champaign: 217-607-5104)
Jerry Costello (D) (217-782-1018, Red Bud: 618-282-7284)
Norine Hammond (R) (217-782-0416, Macomb: 309-836-2707)
Chad Hays (R) (217-782-4811, Danville: 217-477-0104)
Naomi Jakobsson (D) (217-558-1009, Champaign: 217-373-5000)Bill Mitchell (R) (217-782-8163, Decatur: 217-876-1968)
Donald Moffitt (R) (217-782-8032, Galesburg: 309-343-8000)
Brandon Phelps (D) (217-782-5131, Harrisburg: 618-253-4189)Raymond Poe (R) (217-782-0044, Springfield)
Wayne Rosenthal (R) (217-782-8071, Litchfield: 217-324-5200)
Sue Scherer (D) (217-524-0353, Decatur: 217-877-9636)
Mike Smiddy (D) 217-782-3992, Port Byron: 309-848-9098)
How Illinois Senators Voted on SB 1 (Passed the Senate 3/20: only affects current TRS participants and no other systems or TRS retirees; includes choice system between health care and Cost of Living Adjustments).How Illinois Senators Voted on SB 35 (Failed in Senate 3/20: changes retirement age and only applies COLA to first $25k of pensionable salary (Nekritz/Biss bill).
How Illinois Representatives Voted on HB 1154 (Passed the House 3/14: caps pensionable salary at Social Security Index ($113,700 in 2013).How Illinois Representatives Voted on HB 1166 (Passed the House 3/14: raises retirement age for pension system participants under the age of 45).
How Illinois Representatives Voted on HB 1165 (Passed the House 3/21: freezes COLA until five years after retirement or age 67. After reaching a pensionable salary, a flat annual increase of $750 would be granted to annuitants; affects both current teachers and retirees).
Sue Scherer (D) (217-524-0353, Decatur: 217-877-9636)
Mike Smiddy (D) 217-782-3992, Port Byron: 309-848-9098)
How Illinois Senators Voted on SB 1 (Passed the Senate 3/20: only affects current TRS participants and no other systems or TRS retirees; includes choice system between health care and Cost of Living Adjustments).How Illinois Senators Voted on SB 35 (Failed in Senate 3/20: changes retirement age and only applies COLA to first $25k of pensionable salary (Nekritz/Biss bill).
How Illinois Representatives Voted on HB 1154 (Passed the House 3/14: caps pensionable salary at Social Security Index ($113,700 in 2013).How Illinois Representatives Voted on HB 1166 (Passed the House 3/14: raises retirement age for pension system participants under the age of 45).
How Illinois Representatives Voted on HB 1165 (Passed the House 3/21: freezes COLA until five years after retirement or age 67. After reaching a pensionable salary, a flat annual increase of $750 would be granted to annuitants; affects both current teachers and retirees).