Reboot Illinois|New: Top 25 biggest Illinois pensions in SURS

By on April 5, 2016   /   Illinois Press, Latest, Press  

Taxpayers United of America’s (TUA) recent State University Retirement System pension analysis was used by Reboot Illinois.

Taxpayer United of America this week released a new analysis of the State Universities Retirement System — the second-largest of the five Illinois pension funds.
The Chicago-based organization, which advocates for tax relief and pension reform, routinely publishes lists highlighting the state’s biggest pensioners. Its latest analysis focuses on the retirement system for academics and staff at public universities and community colleges in Illinois.
“SURS is in dire need of significant pension reform, much like the other Illinois state pension funds. But since individual SURS retirees are some of the highest paid employees, and therefore biggest pensioners in Illinois, the need for reform is all the more serious for both beneficiaries and taxpayers,” said Jared Labell, the organization’s director of operations.
As of June 30, 2015, SURS had a funded ratio of 44.2 percent with $22.1 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, according to a report published in March by the General Assembly’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
SURS at a glance
Defined benefit active members: 69,381
Average defined benefit active member salary: $50,103
Self-managed plan active members: 11,928
Total retirees: 51,631
Employee contribution: 8 percent (not eligible for Social Security)
Average age of retiree: 62.6
Average pension: $38,070
Years of service at retirement: 19

Source: Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability

Source: Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability

The average annual pension payout in SURS is the second-lowest behind the State Employees’ Retirement System, but the vast majority the fund’s top pensioners are distinguished medical professionals and former higher education executives.
However, as the Better Government Association reported in 2013, many of the biggest pensioners were University of Illinois at Chicago employees who retired, began collecting their pensions, and then were rehired after waiting the required 60 days in order to work part-time for a smaller salary.
More from TUA:
“Taxpayers were forced to pay 467 percent more into the SURS pension fund than the multi-millionaire SURS retirees paid into their own government pensions. That means that for every dollar that an SURS government employee contributed to their own retirement, taxpayers were forced to match them with a subsidy of $4.67.”
We’ve only listed the Top 25 biggest pensioners in SURS, but all 200 can be found here. The lowest annual pension payout on the list is $190,631.
*Note: Estimated lifetime pension payout assumes a life expectancy of 85 (IRS Form 590) and the 3 percent compounded cost-of-living adjustment.
25. George Honig
Title: Professor, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $296,657
Pension Collected to Date: $3.03 million
Employee Contributions: $401,027
Highest Annual Earnings: $333,915
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $4.95 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 8.1%
Years Retired: 12
Age at Retirement: 67
Years of Employment: 33
24. Craig Bazzani
Title: Vice President for Business and Finance
Employer: U of I
Annual Pension: $298,927
Pension Collected to Date: $3.39 million
Employee Contributions: $298,686
Highest Annual Earnings: $355,929
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $9.41 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 3.2%
Years Retired: 14
Age at Retirement: 55 (retired under a pension formula intended for police officers and firefighters)
Years of Employment: 25
23. Jesse Delia
Title: Professor, Communications
Employer: U of I
Annual Pension: $300,880
Pension Collected to Date: $1.36 million
Employee Contributions: $282,870
Highest Annual Earnings: $376,404
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $6.06 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 4.7%
Years Retired: 7
Age at Retirement: 65
Years of Employment: 39
22. Margaret Lee
Title: President
Employer: Oakton Community College
Annual Pension: $302,098
Pension Collected to Date: $209,056
Employee Contributions: $452,272
Highest Annual Earnings: $424,373
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $4.93 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 9.2%
Years Retired: 1
Age at Retirement: 71
Years of Employment: 33
21. Joel Sugar
Title: Professor, Ophthalmologist
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $308,498
Pension Collected to Date: $3.06 million
Employee Contributions: $446,643
Highest Annual Earnings: $326,310
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $8.33 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 5.4%
Years Retired: 12
Age at Retirement: 59
Years of Employment: 29
20. James Feld
Title: Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $313,444
Pension Collected to Date: $1.16 million
Employee Contributions: $516,149
Highest Annual Earnings: $572,259
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $8.49 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 6.1%
Years Retired: 6
Age at Retirement: 61
Years of Employment: 21
19. Phillip Forman
Title: Dean, College of Medicine; Vice Chancellor for Health Services
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $316,933
Pension Collected to Date: $3.57 million
Employee Contributions: $376,541
Highest Annual Earnings: $355,942
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $4.90 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 7.7%
Years Retired: 14
Age at Retirement: 67
Years of Employment: 29
18. Jacob Wilensky
Title: Professor of Ophthalmology
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $325,119
Pension Collected to Date: $3.17 million
Employee Contributions: $410,791
Highest Annual Earnings: $332,009
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $7.33 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 5.6%
Years Retired: 12
Age at Retirement: 62
Years of Employment: 31
17. Robert Easter
Title: President
Employer: U of I
Annual Pension: $331,086
Pension Collected to Date: $331,365
Employee Contributions: $471,219
Highest Annual Earnings: $842,908
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $7.01 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 6.7%
Years Retired: 5
Age at Retirement: 64
Years of Employment: 39
16. Andrew Wilbur
Title: Radiologist
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $336,440
Pension Collected to Date: $877,157
Employee Contributions: $599,074
Highest Annual Earnings: $384,578
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $10.53 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 5.7%
Years Retired: 5
Age at Retirement: 59
Years of Employment: 32
15. Lou Henson
Title: Head Basketball Coach
Employer: U of I
Annual Pension: $336,950
Pension Collected to Date: $3.37 million
Employee Contributions: $300,266
Highest Annual Earnings: $401,287
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $3.70 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 8.1%
Years Retired: 20
Age at Retirement: 64
Years of Employment: 32
14. Ruth Steeler
Title: Professor, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $337,810
Pension Collected to Date: $191,322
Employee Contributions: $283,282
Highest Annual Earnings: $146,489
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $2.38 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 11.9%
Years Retired: 1
Age at Retirement: 78
Years of Employment: 9
13. James Ausman
Title: Head of Neurosurgery
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $348,789
Pension Collected to Date: $2.51 million
Employee Contributions: $418,471
Highest Annual Earnings: $771,604
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $5.19 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 8.1%
Years Retired: 8
Age at Retirement: 70
Years of Employment: 17
12. Vernon Crawley
Title: President
Employer: Moraine Valley Community College
Annual Pension: $361,260
Pension Collected to Date: $814,450
Employee Contributions: $581,987
Highest Annual Earnings: $674,211
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $3.15 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 18.5%
Years Retired: 4
Age at Retirement: 75
Years of Employment: 28
11. Clarence Bowman
Title: President
Employer: ISU
Annual Pension: $374,976
Pension Collected to Date: $520,562
Employee Contributions: $410,284
Highest Annual Earnings: $511,080
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $11.97 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 3.4%
Years Retired: 3
Age at Retirement: 60
Years of Employment: 35
10. Ronald Albrecht
Title: Associate Professor, Anesthesiologist
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $379,805
Pension Collected to Date: $2.96 million
Employee Contributions: $462,077
Highest Annual Earnings: $637,633
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $5.41 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 8.5%
Years Retired: 9
Age at Retirement: 70
Years of Employment: 25
9. Herand Abcarian
Title: Head of Department of Surgery
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $381,245
Pension Collected to Date: $2.50 million
Employee Contributions: $628,987
Highest Annual Earnings: $579,910
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $6.87 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 9.2%
Years Retired: 8
Age at Retirement: 67
Years of Employment: 20
8. James Stukel
Title: President
Employer: U of I
Annual Pension: $390,583
Pension Collected to Date: $2.33 million
Employee Contributions: $337,524
Highest Annual Earnings: $417,670
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $5.32 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 6.3%
Years Retired: 11
Age at Retirement: 67
Years of Employment: 35
7. Mahmood Mafee
Title: Clinical Professor of Radiology
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $416,597
Pension Collected to Date: $3.48 million
Employee Contributions: $562,570
Highest Annual Earnings: $494,056
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $8.81 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 6.4%
Years Retired: 10
Age at Retirement: 64
Years of Employment: 32
6. Joseph Flaherty
Title: Dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $420,670
Pension Collected to Date: $1.05 million
Employee Contributions: $635,127
Highest Annual Earnings: $515,473
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $9.53 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 6.7%
Years Retired: 5
Age at Retirement: 64
Years of Employment: 35
5. Peter Maggs
Title: Law Professor
Employer: U of I
Annual Pension: $422,150
Pension Collected to Date: $543,220
Employee Contributions: $509,123
Highest Annual Earnings: $305,999
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $3.27 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 15.6%
Years Retired: 2
Age at Retirement: 77
Years of Employment: 21
4. Ronald Guenther
Title: Director of Athletics
Employer: University of Illinois – Foundation
Annual Pension: $459,315
Pension Collected to Date: $988,340
Employee Contributions: $614,647
Highest Annual Earnings: $744,153
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $9.53 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 6.4%
Years Retired: 5
Age at Retirement: 65
Years of Employment: 29
3. Edward Abraham
Title: Orthopedic Surgeon
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $466,759
Pension Collected to Date: $3.69 million
Employee Contributions: $535,165
Highest Annual Earnings: $459,998
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $9.04 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 5.9%
Years Retired: 9
Age at Retirement: 66
Years of Employment: 35
2. Tapas Das Gupta
Title: Professor, Head of Department of Surgical Oncology
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $480,381
Pension Collected to Date: $4.77 million
Employee Contributions: $475,331
Highest Annual Earnings: $481,856
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $5.25 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 9.1%
Years Retired: 12
Age at Retirement: 72
Years of Employment: 35
1. Leslie Heffez
Title: Professor and Head, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Employer: UIC
Annual Pension: $564,298
Pension Collected to Date: $578,460
Employee Contributions: $768,611
Highest Annual Earnings: $783,862
Estimated Lifetime Pension Payout: $22.33 million
Percent Contributed to Estimated Lifetime Payout: 3.4%
Years Retired: 4
Age at Retirement: 55
Years of Employment: 29

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Chicago Now|Illinois turns retired state college employees into millionaires. How does your pension compare?

By on April 5, 2016   /   Illinois Press, Latest, Press  

Taxpayers United of America’s (TUA) recent State University Retirement pension data analysis was mentioned by Chicago Now.

Total up what you expect to receive from your private pension and social security and see if it matches the astonishing rich pensions that the state of Illinois (i.e. taxpayers) gives to its public university employees.
There’s a guy who, believe it, is expected to receive a $22.3 million lifetime state sponsored pension. He leads the pack. He is Leslie Heffez,, a Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from the University of Illinois at Chicago, who retired at 55 and who collects a $564,298 annual pension. Okay, so maybe he deserves it because he’s some kind of unique expert. So, what do the “ordinary” state university employees get?
As Taxpayer United of America has reported, dollar sign
The average 2016 annual SURS [State Universities Retirement System] pension is $35,751.
The average amount that employees paid into their own pension fund is $48,764, or 5 percent of their estimated lifetime pension payout.
The average estimated lifetime payout is $947,211.
The average age at retirement is 61.
The average years of employment are 18.
If you can take it, here is some more from Taxpayers United of America:
Total number of 2016 SURS pension beneficiaries is approximately 62,792.
3,955 collect pensions in excess of $100,000.
15,628 collect pensions in excess of $50,000.
In fiscal year 2015, taxpayers were forced to pay $1,590,900,000 into the government pension fund.
In fiscal year 2015, SURS government employees paid $340,000,000 into their own pension fund.
At the end of fiscal year 2015, SURS had a 42.37% funded ratio with a $22.4 billion unfunded liability.
Sure, blame the politicians for robbing the state pension funds to pay for everyday state expenses (including state university subsidies), but there’s this: Since “2011, SURS has received the full annual statutory contribution from the state of Illinois.”
Gee, so how is your pension and social security looking now?

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Illinois’ SURS Schooling Taxpayers

By on March 31, 2016   /   Illinois, Latest, Pension Reform  

View as PDF CHICAGO—Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today released the results of their updated analysis of Illinois’ State Universities Retirement System (SURS).
“SURS is in dire need of significant pension reform, much like the other Illinois state pension funds. But since individual SURS retirees are some of the highest paid employees, and therefore biggest pensioners in Illinois, the need for reform is all the more serious for both beneficiaries and taxpayers,” said Jared Labell, TUA’s director of operations.
“Last August, SURS Chief Investment Officer Daniel L. Allen sounded the alarm about the pension fund’s long-term solvency in a memo regarding their 2016 investment plan, writing, ‘SURS faces the real risk that the assets could be depleted in less than 10 years,’ adding, ‘Investment policy alone cannot close the SURS plan deficit. The deficit is too large.’ Although the narrative from government employees, union bosses, and likeminded politicians relies heavily on calls for more taxpayer funding due to skipped or decreased payments from the state, Mr. Allen points out that this is not so in this case, noting, ‘that since (fiscal year) 2011, SURS has received the full annual statutory contribution from the state of Illinois.’ So what’s wrong with SURS? It relies heavily on a defined benefit system that is costly for taxpayers and detrimental to Illinois’ overall financial health,” said Labell.

  • Total number of 2016 SURS pension beneficiaries is approximately 62,792.
  • 3,955 collect pensions in excess of $100,000.
  • 15,628 collect pensions in excess of $50,000.
  • The average 2016 annual SURS pension is $35,751.
  • The average amount that employees paid into their own pension fund is $48,764, or 5% of their estimated lifetime pension payout.
  • The average estimated lifetime payout is $947,211.
  • The average age at retirement is 61.
  • The average years of employment are 18.
  • The net return on investment for SURS in fiscal year 2015 was only 2.9%, or $593,600,000.
  • In fiscal year 2015, taxpayers were forced to pay $1,590,900,000 into the government pension fund.
  • In fiscal year 2015, SURS government employees paid $340,000,000 into their own pension fund.
  • At the end of fiscal year 2015, SURS had a 42.37% funded ratio with a $22.4 billion unfunded liability.

“Taxpayers were forced to pay 467% more into the SURS pension fund than the multi-millionaire SURS retirees paid into their own government pensions. That means that for every dollar that an SURS government employee contributed to their own retirement, taxpayers were forced to match them with a subsidy of $4.67.”
“For nearly two decades, Illinois has offered state university employees a self-managed retirement plan (SMP), similar to a 401(k), alongside the standard defined benefit plan controlled by politicians. The SMP gives government employees more power over their own retirement savings funds, makes retirement costs more sustainable over time, and protects taxpayers from budgetary uncertainty from year to year. The SMP active membership totals of 11,928 are far lower than the 69,381 active members in the old defined benefit plan, but if the SMP option was given to all current state employees and mandatory for all new hires, this one reform would go a long way in improving Illinois’ unfunded government pension liabilities.”
“As funding shortfalls accrue for SURS and the other government pension funds, Illinois’ political caste will be to blame for the bankruptcy of their constituents and the eventual reduced benefits for pensioners. Continuing the defined benefit pension system in Illinois guarantees that a constitutional crisis will ultimately erupt between the state constitution’s pension protection clause and the insolvency of the pension funds. The unions, bureaucrats, and politicians will argue for expanding the tax burden of Illinois residents to fund their pensions, but tax hikes and cutting of services will not solve this problem, only systemic reform will,” said Labell.
“Leslie Heffez DMD, MS, FRCD, a retired Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery from the University of Illinois – Chicago, collects an incredible $564,298 annual pension. Retiring at only 55 years old, his total accumulated pension payout will be more than $22.3 million. Dr. Heffez tops our list for both the largest annual pension and estimated lifetime pension payout of our study. Over a normal lifetime, Dr. Heffez will collect almost double the estimated lifetime pension payout of the runner-up on our list, Clarence Bowman, former President of Illinois State University, whose estimated lifetime pension payout is nearly $12 million.”
“Tapas Das Gupta, MD, Professor and Head of the Department of Surgical Oncology at University of Illinois – Chicago, no longer tops our list with the top annual pension. However, Dr. Das Gupta is number one in our study for having collected the largest pension to date, totaling nearly $4.8 million. Dr. Das Gupta was only briefly retired years ago, however, as the university rehired him after waiting the required 60 days. Taxpayers now pay for his nearly half a million dollar pension while he collects a salary and remains employed by the government.”

“Without systemic reforms, the problem of government pensions will only get worse over time. This is due to numerous factors, including the pressure from government sector unions to maintain the system for their own benefit, at the expense of the majority of taxpayers; the legal precedents that have been codified into law to uphold this unsustainable system; and the legislators who find it politically expedient to preserve the status quo.”
“What many in the political class don’t seem to understand is that there is a breaking point, and eventually ever-higher tax increases will cause taxpayers to leave their city, county, or state for areas that are more economically friendly – commonly referred to as ‘voting with your feet.’ We know this to be the case by looking at recent history, as former Gov. Quinn’s 67% state income tax hike in 2011 encouraged taxpayers to flee Illinois in droves to neighboring states like Indiana and Wisconsin, as well as Texas and Florida, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. And data released last week shows the Chicago area decreased in population last year for the first time since at least 1990, which is a horrible indicator of what’s to come for Chicago in the future, and Illinois in general, if the financial situation and government pension crisis is not dealt with soon,” concluded Labell.
*Lifetime estimated pension payout includes 3% COLA (simple interest) and assumes life expectancy of 85 (IRS Form 590).

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