Adams County Crushed by Government Pensions

By on October 23, 2012   /   Illinois, Items of Interest, News Releases, Pension Reform  

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Quincy—Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today released the results of a new pension study for the Quincy municipal government employees, Adams County government employees and Adams County government teachers.
“Illinois lawmakers have only flirted with reforms of the government pension system,” stated Jim Tobin, president of TUA. “Illinois is in just about the worst financial shape and yet taxpayers are still expected to pour their hard earned money into a failed system.”
“While residents across Adams County face crushing tax increases, falling home values, rising unemployment, and a painfully slow economic recovery, government employees continue to receive stunning pensions largely funded by taxpayers who will never collect more than about $22,000 a year from Social Security.”
“Chicago Machine Boss, Michael Madigan, and the Democrats have been draining taxpayers in Quincy and all across the state for the last 30 years without addressing the number one budget problem: outrageously lavish, government employee pensions. Across the country, millions of bureaucrats are being paid billions, to do absolutely nothing!”
“The purpose of our study is to put some perspective around individual pensions, to put them in terms to which the average taxpayer can relate. Area taxpayers, whose average income is $39,000, need to know how much Quincy’s government retirees are being paid not to work and the astronomical accumulation of those payments over an average lifetime.”
Tobin continued, “For example, Nicholas N. Schildt, retired from government school district 172 and collected a 2012 pension of $194,663. His starting pension, when he retired, was $153,532. He has received more than the average annual wage for this area in cost of living adjustments alone. His estimated lifetime pension payout is stunning $6.9 million, of which he only contributed 2.4%.*”
“Richard A. Klusmeyer, retired from the Adams County government, has an annual pension of $80,598, with a staggering estimated lifetime payout of $2,077,462.* ”
“Retired Quincy municipal government employee, Donald J. Kulek, has a lifetime estimated pension payout of $2,553,495*, with an annual pension of $60,465.”
View pension amounts below:

“Illinois’ government pensions are in serious trouble with no end in sight. Government employees should be paid a fair wage for the work they do today so they can save for their own retirement. Replacing defined benefit pensions for all new government hires with social security and 401(k)s would eventually eliminate unfunded government pensions.”
“The only way taxpayers will get relief from the tax-raisers who ‘temporarily’ increased our income tax by 67% is to throw all the Democrats out of Springfield and make Madigan the house minority leader,” added Tobin. “If we don’t, taxes will go even higher and the pension system will collapse anyway. It’s mathematically impossible to tax your way out of this problem. Illinois has more than 6,700 retirees collecting more than $100,000; in about 8 years, that will be over 25,000 six figure pensioners.”
*Lifetime estimated pension payout assumes life expectancy of 85 (IRS Form 590).

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Westmont Bureaucrats Desperate to Protect Home Rule Taxing Power

By on October 17, 2012   /   Illinois, Items of Interest, Latest, News Releases  

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Chicago – “Westmont residents stand to keep a lot more of their hard-earned money if they vote “YES” to end home rule on November 6,” stated Rae Ann McNeilly, director of outreach for Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“Home Rule always means higher taxes. Bureaucrats try to sell home rule as a good thing for the community, but the only thing it is good for is helping them grow their empires.”
“They are concerned with losing more than $2 million in home rule taxes that fund their excessive empire with five employees that make over $100,000 a year. Fifty-four Westmont government employees made over $50,000 in 2011 – in a village of less than 25,000!”
“Westmont residents became victims of unlimited Home Rule taxing powers as a consequence of the population reaching 25,000. The 2010 census, however, affords residents the opportunity to reclaim their right to vote on municipal tax increases as a result of enough people leaving an over-taxed community.”
“Rather than shrink the budget to match the shrinking population, Westmont is asking voters to renew the blank check power they have with Home Rule.”
“Shall the Village of Westmont cease to be a home rule unit? Yes/No”
“The answer is a resounding, ‘YES’. Taxpayers continue to lose income to inflation and a stagnant economy and yet are expected to ensure government ‘revenue’ continues to climb. Our municipal leadership need to respect their constituents’ intelligence and make the cuts necessary to relieve taxpayers from the burdensome growth of government employee salaries and pensions.”
“TUA is helping activists in Westmont and 8 other communities to fight Home Rule taxing power in November. We helped beat down 6 out of 6 referenda in March of this year and we are looking to establish a new record this November, starting with Westmont.”
“Taxpayers can download a copy of our Westmont flyer or any of the other 8 Home Rule flyers at www.taxpayersunited.org and get the word out to friends and neighbors, that they have a chance to reclaim their right to vote on tax increases by voting YES to end home rule in Westmont.”

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Chicago Homeowners To See Big Property Tax Hikes Due To Government-School Retiree Pensions

By on September 13, 2012   /   Illinois, Latest, Pension Reform  

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CHICAGO–Not only are Chicago homeowners going to see big increases in their property taxes due to the unconscionable 16% pay raise offered to striking Chicago government-school teachers, but the lavish, gold-plated pensions being paid to retired Chicago government teachers will result in additional hikes in their property taxes, according to Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of Illinois (TUA).
“Chicago homeowners, through their property taxes, are on the hook for the huge salary increases currently being negotiated by the school board and the Chicago Teachers Union,” said Tobin. “But even worse are the extravagant pensions being paid to retired Chicago government-school teachers.”
“Our list of the ‘Top 100’ pensions paid to retired Chicago government-school teachers, ranked by estimated lifetime pension payout, highlights the stunning pensions largely funded by taxpayers — taxpayers who will never collect more than about $22,000 a year from Social Security.”
“Chicago government-school teacher pensions are out of control. These retired bureaucrats are being paid millions to do absolutely nothing. After retirement, most will live for decades, and many will become pension millionaires.”
View the top 100 teacher pensions for Chicago government schools here.
“Heading our list of the ‘Top 100’ Chicago Teacher pensions as of April 4, 2012 is Barbara Eason-Watkins, whose current annual pension is $156,103. Her estimated lifetime pension payout is an incredible $5,973,659.”
“Number two on the list is Miguel Trujillo, whose annual pension is $119,870. His estimated lifetime pension payout is $5,361,206.”
“Even the retiree at the bottom of the ‘Top 100’ list, Daniel Trahey, is raking in the bucks. His annual pension is $116,562, and his estimated lifetime pension is $1,639,699.”
“These retired Chicago government-school teachers are literally becoming pension millionaires by being paid for doing absolutely nothing, courtesy of Chicago homeowners. The Chicago government school pension program is unsustainable, and the property taxes of Chicago homeowners will be raised again and again until they revolt at the polls and throw from office the mayor and city council members who are the tools of the Chicago Teachers Union.”

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