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Congressional subcommittee examines pensions The U.S. House
Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held a hearing Aug. 30
at the Capitol building in Springfield to take a closer look at the
health of state and local pension plans.
Illinois congresswoman Judy Biggert and Minnesota congressman
John Kline led the discussion about the financial outlook of state
and local pension plans and how the uncertain fiscal health of these
plans could affect state and local government workers and retirees
-- as well as taxpayers.
Those who testified included J. Fred Giertz, professor of
economics at the University of Illinois; Irene Jinks, president of
the Illinois Retired Teachers Association; Joanna Webb-Gauvin,
retiree director of AFSCME Council 31; and John Filan, budget
director for the Blagojevich administration.
In the spring of 2005, the governor and his legislative allies
pushed through a massive raid on the state's pension systems; as a
result, $1.2 billion was diverted from the state retirement systems
in fiscal 2006. The current (fiscal 2007) budget is diverting
another $1.1 billion, for a total two-year raid of $2.3 billion.
This governor seems to view the public pensions systems as his
personal piggy bank He robs the pensions of teachers, prison guards
and road crews to pay for pork projects. He needs to face up to the
harsh reality that he cannot be all things to all people, because it
is the taxpayers of Illinois who are left with the bill.
Our state would be better served with fiscal discipline and
prioritized spending.
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 Revitalizing Illinois' coal industry
Enhancing Illinois' prospects for a revolutionary power plant
that would revitalize the state's coal industry is the aim of two
new legislative proposals announced Aug. 22.
In 2007, the FutureGen Alliance plans to select a site in
Illinois or Texas to build a state-of-the-art, near-zero-emissions
coal-fueled power plant that will produce energy from coal in a
revolutionary manner. The $1 billion facility will be the first of
its kind and will produce more than 1,000 construction jobs, 150
permanent plant operation jobs and hundreds more generated through
new industries drawn to the area, all by 2012.
The legislation, proposed by Sen. Dale Righter of Mattoon, will
bring Illinois' indemnification laws into line with Texas, thus
leveling the playing field.
The FutureGen project would benefit the entire state economically
and environmentally, providing new job opportunities, cleaner air
and less reliance on foreign oil.
[Column from
Sen. Bill Brady] |
