“How many promises to the state’s workers do you want to break?”
Photo: Fred Klonsky
The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner walked into the hearing room like he owned the joint.
And in some ways he does.
I spent four hours today at the Committee of Ten hearings at the Michael Bilandic State of Illinois Building, sixth floor committee room that shares the floor with The Madman’s Chicago office.
The Committee of Ten was set up following the early-June failure of the Illinois legislature to pass a pension cutting bill. The House wasn’t allowed to vote on SB2404 and the Senate wouldn’t pass Senate Bill 1.
The Governor wants action by July 9th.
It not going to happen by July 9th.
Ty Fahner gave the standard corporate Illinois-is-broke testimony. Although he spoke for over 45 minutes, it
Photo: Fred Klonsky
The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner walked into the hearing room like he owned the joint.
And in some ways he does.
I spent four hours today at the Committee of Ten hearings at the Michael Bilandic State of Illinois Building, sixth floor committee room that shares the floor with The Madman’s Chicago office.
The Committee of Ten was set up following the early-June failure of the Illinois legislature to pass a pension cutting bill. The House wasn’t allowed to vote on SB2404 and the Senate wouldn’t pass Senate Bill 1.
The Governor wants action by July 9th.
It not going to happen by July 9th.
Ty Fahner gave the standard corporate Illinois-is-broke testimony. Although he spoke for over 45 minutes, it
Mark drags himself to yet another community meeting with Dan Biss.
-Mark Stefanik
Yet again, I dragged myself to a Senator Dan Biss town hall meeting; this time at the Wilmette Public Library with an audience made up of polite super seniors.
Yet again, I witnessed Senator Biss consume over 1/3 of the meeting with a summary of developments in Springfield that was short on policy details, but long on explanations of parliamentary procedures and omens of fiscal doom for the state of Illinois if pension ‘reform’ is not passed. And, as always in his little fireside chats, his narrative implied greedy pensioners and intransigent unions would be responsible for draconian cuts to education, medicaid, and most state services.
Early on, one senior challenged the Senator: “But didn’t the teachers pay into the system, and isn’t today’s problem the result of the State’s not paying its share?”
“Why yes, that’s true, … but we all must sacrifice to solve the problem.”
Heads wagged in agreement. We’re all in this together. But let’s compare sacrifices.
Danny doesn’t like to do this.
So I helped him.
I described the specifics of his plan SB1 to those lovely older folks. I explained how it would impoverish most
Yet again, I dragged myself to a Senator Dan Biss town hall meeting; this time at the Wilmette Public Library with an audience made up of polite super seniors.
Yet again, I witnessed Senator Biss consume over 1/3 of the meeting with a summary of developments in Springfield that was short on policy details, but long on explanations of parliamentary procedures and omens of fiscal doom for the state of Illinois if pension ‘reform’ is not passed. And, as always in his little fireside chats, his narrative implied greedy pensioners and intransigent unions would be responsible for draconian cuts to education, medicaid, and most state services.
Early on, one senior challenged the Senator: “But didn’t the teachers pay into the system, and isn’t today’s problem the result of the State’s not paying its share?”
“Why yes, that’s true, … but we all must sacrifice to solve the problem.”
Heads wagged in agreement. We’re all in this together. But let’s compare sacrifices.
Danny doesn’t like to do this.
So I helped him.
I described the specifics of his plan SB1 to those lovely older folks. I explained how it would impoverish most
The problem is old people.
Popout.
In an hour I am riding my bike up to the CTA station and taking the train down to the Michael Bilandic building where the Committee of Ten is holding its first public meeting on pension – ahem – reform.
I’m hoping the small room is filled to capacity with old people.
After all, we are the problem.
There’s just too many God damn old people. And old teachers? We are the worst.
I mean really. Is there anything worse than a greedy old geezer who spent 35 years working with kids –
In an hour I am riding my bike up to the CTA station and taking the train down to the Michael Bilandic building where the Committee of Ten is holding its first public meeting on pension – ahem – reform.
I’m hoping the small room is filled to capacity with old people.
After all, we are the problem.
There’s just too many God damn old people. And old teachers? We are the worst.
I mean really. Is there anything worse than a greedy old geezer who spent 35 years working with kids –