Gov. “3-County” Quinn Has No Mandate To Raise Taxes

By on November 10, 2010   /   News Releases  

CHICAGO–Gov. Patrick Quinn (D) has no mandate whatsoever to raise the state income tax according to Jim Tobin, President of National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI), despite Quinn’s claim on Nov. 8 that “I think we will have a requisite majority in both Houses to pass an income tax increase, and we have to do it as soon as possible. That’s the lesson of Tuesday to me”.

“Patrick Quinn is drinking his own Kool-Aid,” said Tobin. “His claim that he has a mandate from the Nov. 2 election is ludicrous.”

Read more →

Back to Top

4,352 Illinois Government Retirees Receiving Pensions Over $100,000; A 20% Increase From FY2009

By on November 9, 2010   /   News Releases  

          CHICAGO—4,352 retired Illinois government retirees received over $100,000 in pension benefits for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, according to pension researcher, Bill Zettler. This is the 9th annual report by Zettler on the top 100 government pension recipients in Illinois.

          “The number of retired government employees receiving more than $100,000 a year in retirement pensions rose 20% from 3,597 government employees from fiscal year 2009,” said Zettler. “These pension millionaires are quickly draining the state’s pension funds; the financial burden is clearly unsustainable.”

Read more →

Back to Top

Jim Edgar Enjoying Lavish Lifestyle From Pensions He Supported

By on October 27, 2010   /   Commentary  

By Dennis Constant

Jim Edgar must bear much of the blame for the present mess in Illinois’ floundering government employee pension system, which is literally making pension millionaires of some of its recipients, including former Governor Edgar.

On May 27, 1998, Edgar signed into law Senate Bill 3, sponsored in the State Senate by St. Sen. Larry Bomke (R-50, Springfield) and Rep Raymond Poe (R-99, Springfield) in the State House. This allowed government school teachers and administrators outside of Chicago to retire after 34 years of teaching and receive 75 percent of their final pay. As most public high school teachers in Chicago suburbs retire with salaries over $100,000 gross pay for nine months employment (and administrators receiving 2-4 times this amount), the bill signed into law by Edgar is estimated to cost Illinois taxpayers over $25 billion over the next 47 years.

Read more →

Back to Top