Lake County Government Schools: Mismanagement Woes

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Lincolnshire, IL – Adlai Stevenson HSD 125 is plagued not only with outrageous pension burdens, but also with gross mismanagement and corruption, according to Jim Tobin, economist and president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).

“Stevenson High School, like other Lake County government institutions, gouges taxpayers for outrageous salaries and pensions while completely mismanaging the government employees and students in their charge.”

“Stevenson High School student dean, Paul Weil resigned amid his alleged inappropriate texting with students. A second dean, Nicolas Valenziano had to resign after a video of his racist attack on a student was reported.”

“Students were caught in a pervasive, organized, cheating effort. But that didn’t compare to the wholly inappropriate sexting scandal. Perhaps worst of all, wealthy parents actually gave up custody of their junior or senior students in order to divert student aid from truly deserving students.”

“These government schoolteachers and administrators are rewarded for their inept governance with lavish, outrageous pensions. The Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) is one of the most bloated pension systems in the state. No matter how poorly these bureaucrats perform, taxpayers are on the hook to pay them until their death.”

On average, Illinois government teachers are only employed about 27 years before they are eligible to retire and collect full pensions. The average age of an Illinois teacher at retirement is only 59.

“The TRS is only about 50% funded, and this is what the proposed Pritzker income-theft amendment is all about. Pritzker has placed an amendment on the November 3 ballot to change the state flat-rate income tax to a graduated income tax. If passed, this graduated tax will decimate the state’s middle-class.”

“Between the mass exodus of Illinois residents and businesses to more tax-friendly states and the huge loss of jobs and income from Pritzker’s lockdown, Illinois’ middle-class will virtually disappear. Lake County has lost more than 7,600 residents.”

Here are just a couple of the bloated government pensions at Stevenson High School:

James S. Hintz, Stevenson HSD 125 retiree, has a current annual pension of $306,373. He will collect a stunning $9,271,559 in estimated lifetime pension payments.

Timothy D. Kanold retired from Stevenson HSD 125 and currently collects $274,681 a year from TRS. His estimated lifetime payout is $8,371,466. He had to invest only $278,892 of his own money for that payout.

Click Here to view all top Stevenson HSD 125 pensions.

“Illinois government employees are employed for only 20.1 years on average in order to collect these lavish, gold-plated pensions. And for every dollar they deposit in their own pension fund, taxpayers are forced to fork over $4.74. Add to that a 3% COLA, compounded for all but IMRF, and it doesn’t take a genius to understand why Illinois’ government pensions are insolvent.”

“Rather than put an income theft amendment on the ballot, Pritzker should have pushed for a pension reform amendment,” said Tobin.

Taxpayers Fight Home Rule Push in Crestwood

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Chicago – Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America’s (TUA), has announced that taxpayers will be fighting Home Rule in the Village of Crestwood.

“In the upcoming November elections, wealthy government bureaucrats want voters to approve Home Rule for their communities,” said Tobin. “Home Rule is a disaster. It gives unlimited taxing authority to local bureaucrats to fund their lavish, gold plated pensions. Illinois is broke, because of an unsustainable pension system. Taxpayers must reject Home Rule on the November 3 ballot.”

Click below to access printable versions of the Crestwood flier.

Crestwood

Tobin emphasizes that Home Rule always means higher taxes. “Home Rule means, literally, unlimited taxing power,” said Tobin. “A home rule municipality can create just about any tax under the sun and raise taxes without limit.”

“I call it ‘Home Ruin.’ Why would anyone want to give up the right to vote on property tax increases?”

“Home Rule removes the cap limiting the amount that bureaucrats can increase property taxes. It gives bureaucrats a blank check. How many government bureaucrats would you trust with a blank check bearing your signature?”

Lake Forest’s Lavish Pensions

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Lake Forest, IL – Government pensions are too rich even for taxpayers in Lake Forest, according to Jim Tobin, economist and president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).


“Greedy tax-raisers believe that there is no limit to the taxes that residents of Lake Forest can pay,” said Tobin. “They have been hit with a 100% sales tax increase, a 2.5% increase in the water tax, and a 4.64% increase in property taxes. And if Democrat Gov. Jay Robert “J. B.” Pritzker gets his way, they will also take a huge hit in their state income-tax.”


“The Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) is one of the most bloated pension systems in the state. Even if one is accused of sexual misconduct with students, Illinois will make sure the accused will get a multi-million-dollar pension payout: David Miller who’s been so accused, has already collected $2,080,863 in pension payments and is on track to collect $3,826.299 over a normal lifetime.”


“All of the top 200 TRS pensions in Lake Forest have nearly one million-dollar payouts as well as all being higher than $50,000 a year. On average, teachers only work about 27 years before they are eligible to retire and collect full pensions. The average age of an Illinois teacher at retirement is only 59.


“The TRS is only about 50% funded, and this is what the proposed Pritzker income-theft amendment is all about. Pritzker has placed an amendment on the November 3 ballot to change the state flat-rate income tax to a graduated income tax. If passed, this graduated tax will decimate the state’s middle-class.”


“Between the mass exodus of Illinois residents to more tax-friendly states and the huge loss of jobs and income from Pritzker’s lockdown, Illinois’ middle-class will virtually disappear. Lake County has lost more than 7,600 residents.”


“Here a just a few of the bloated government pensions in Lake County: Harry D. Griffith, Lake Forest SD 67 retiree, has a current annual pension of $288,432. He will collect about $7,795,797 in estimated lifetime pension payments.


Girard Weber retired from the College of Lake County and currently collects $313,394 a year from the State University Retirement System (SURS). His estimated lifetime payout is $6,866,183. He had to invest only $314,282 of his own money for that payout.


Click here to view Top 200 Lake Forest TRS pensions


Click here to view Top 200 Lake Forest IMRF pensions


Click here to view Top 200 Lake Forest SURS pensions


“Illinois government employees work only 20.1 years on average in order to collect these lavish, gold-plated pensions. And for every dollar they deposit in their own pension fund, taxpayers are forced to fork over $4.74. Add to that a 3% COLA, compounded for all but IMRF, and it doesn’t take a genius to understand why Illinois’ government pensions are insolvent.”


“Rather than put an income theft amendment on the ballot, Pritzker should have pushed for a pension reform amendment,” said Tobin.