Rockford Pensioners Collect Millions Amid Unemployment Crisis

By on June 26, 2020   /   Illinois, jim tobin, Latest  
Jim Tobin
Jim Tobin

View as PDF

TUA in the News!
Story covered by CBS Channel 23 News Rockford.

Rockford- “Rockford area property taxes have been some of the highest in the country in recent years. Property taxes pay for the local government pensions and state law requires those pensions to be paid before any other commitments. No matter how many private sector workers lose their jobs, government retirees continue to collect their gold-plated pensions,” said Jim Tobin, economist and president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).

“While the local pensions of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) are paid by property taxes, the remaining five state pension funds are subsidized with the Illinois state income-tax.” 

“In order to fund pensions of the 148,654 pensioners who will collect more than a million dollars in pension payments, Democrat Gov. Jay Robert ‘J. B.’Pritzkeris seeking to hoodwink voters into passing constitutional amendment that that ushers in massive state income-tax increases.”

“Pritzker’s incometheft amendment will be on the November 3, 2020 ballot. If passed, this taxpayer theftwill hit the middle-class the hardest. Between the mass exodus of Illinois residents to more tax-friendly states and the huge loss of jobs and income from Pritzker’s Soviet style lockdown, Illinois’ middle-class will virtually disappear.”

“As many of us have been struggling without a paycheck, or watching businesses disintegrate, here’s what a few of the political elite in Winnebago County collected without a concern of what is to come:

Alan S. Brown retired from Rockford SD205 at the age of 55. His current annual pension is $188,828, an increase of about $5,000 over last year. With his 3% compounded COLA, he will realize about $5,353,244 over a normal lifetime. His personal investment in that stunning payout is only about 3%.

Paul A. Logli retired from Winnebago County government with a current annual pension of $172,197. His raise this year was about $3,700 and he will collect about $4,966,168 in estimated lifetime pension payments. Paul is also eligible for a social security pension. 

Karl Jacobs, Rock Valley College retiree, collects $184,970 a year from the State University Retirement System (SURS). His estimated lifetime payout is $2,968,762. He only had to invest $159,281 of his own money in that payout.”

“Illinois government employees only work 20.1 years on average in order to collect these unrealistic 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 November 3rd ballot, Pritzker should have pushed for a pension reform amendment because these outrageous pensions are protected by the state constitution. 

View Top Rockford IMRF Pensions
View Top Rockford SURS Pensions
View Top Rockford TRS Pensions

Back to Top

Rockford Property Taxes Going Up to Fund Gov. Pensions!

By on August 9, 2019   /   IL, jim tobin, Latest, Pension Reform  

View as PDF

Rockford, IL – Taxpayer Education Foundation (TEF) today released its updated study on Rockford-area government pensions including the top 200 pensions in the Teachers Retirement System (TRS), Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), and the State University Retirement System (SURS). Based on the TEF pension study, Taxpayers United of America (TUA) issued the following statement:

“IMRF pensions, largely kept afloat by property taxes of homeowners and businesses, hit Rockford taxpayers particularly hard. Rockford is right up there with New York and New Jersey. With the fourth highest property taxes in the entire country, Rockford is especially burdened by an effective tax rate of 2.83%,” said Jim Tobin, president of TUA.

“For many homeowners, this means that their property taxes meet or exceed their actual mortgage payment, although this is financially detrimental to every property owner in Rockford.”

“We have passed the point where the government bureaucrats who made these outrageous promises can tax their way out of the problem, although they will try their damndest. This is why Springfield Democrats have put on the 2020 statewide ballot the Income Tax Increase Amendment.

Cook County machine Democrat, Gov. Jay Robert “J. B.” Pritzker and his buddy, Chicago Machine Boss, Michael J. Madigan, Democrat Speaker of the Illinois House, are hoping to keep propping up the pension system by increasing the income tax under the guise of a ‘more fair’ graduated state income tax.”

“I guarantee that the middle class will be hit the hardest by the Income Tax Increase Amendment, as well as all of the new and higher taxes they are implementing.”

  • Click here to see the top 200 Rockford TRS pensions
  • Click here to see the top 200 Rockford and Winnebago County IMRF pensions
  • Click here to see the top Rockford SURS pensions

“Rockford taxpayers, because of their comparatively high property tax rate, will be hit harder by the Pritzker Income Tax Increase Amendment than most Illinoisans.”

“When you look at what the individual government retirees are actually collecting in taxpayer funded pensions, you can get a better idea of why this theft of taxpayer wealth is so egregious. Keep in mind that the average taxpayer will collect only about $17,500 a year from Social Security, and that IMRF pensioners are also eligible for a Social Security pension.”

Paul A. Logil retired from the Winnebago County government and collects an annual pension of $168,424. He retired at the age of 55 and paid $224,614 into the IMRF. His estimated lifetime pension payout is approximately $4,329,741. Paul is also eligible for a social security pension.

Alan S. Brown retired from Rockford SD205 at the age of 55. His current annual pension is $183,329. He paid only $175,892 into TRS and his estimated lifetime payout is $5,321,315.

Karl Jacobs retired from Rock Valley College. His current annual pension of $179,592 is more than the $159,281 he paid into SURS. His estimated lifetime pension payout is $2,833,620.

“What is most troubling about the pension crisis is that none of the elected bureaucrats are willing to do anything to fix the problem. Speaker Madigan obviously is hoping to prop this system up just long enough for him to retire, and escape all responsibility for the financial demise of Illinois.

“All Illinois government new hires should be placed in a 401(k) style retirement savings account beginning immediately, and the retirement age should be increased to 65. These measures would at least slow the bleeding until comprehensive pension reform can be enacted,” said Tobin.

Back to Top

“What’s Yours is Mine” – Rockford Government

By on February 21, 2018   /   Latest, News Releases  

View as PDF.
Chicago – Government bureaucrats are trying to pass a referendum on the March 20 ballot to grant unlimited Home Rue taxing powers to politicians.
“What more do you need to know about Home Rule than you give up your right to vote on future tax increases,” asked Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“Home Rule isn’t about autonomy from Springfield, it’s about a complete lack of spending discipline and cost control. As taxes at the state and federal level are cut, Rockford government bureaucrats seek to increase taxes without voter approval in order to make up the difference,” added Tobin.
The City of Rockford commissioned a task force charged with making recommendations on closing the $10.2 million budget gap. The press release announcing the highlights can be read at https://rockfordil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Finance-Task-Force-Presents-Findings-to-Council-Dec-2017.pdf.
“The only cost-cutting the task force could come up with was curbing safety officers’ overtime. Of course, the rest of the budget deficit is suggested to be bridged by tax increases and the adoption of Home Rule to facilitate that”.
“At least the task force was able to identify the primary problem with the Rockford budget: increases in obligated pension costs.”
“Revenue shortfalls and significant increases in obligated pension costs have driven the growth of the budget deficit.”
“Imagine if we ran our businesses like the city of Rockford – We pay ourselves more than we can afford, in both wages and pensions, and then hold people up to cover the payments. That’s exactly what they are trying to do.”
“This task force goes so far as to say that if Home Rule doesn’t pass, they should impose a utility tax…that reveals that they want Home Rule so they can indiscriminately increase taxes. That is what Home Rule does. If their tax increase has merit, then why are they afraid to put it up for a vote?”
“Just look at the pensions that Rockford has authorized for its government employees. If you can’t afford your pension payments then maybe you are paying people too much. And you just might have too many people working for the city!”
Click on the links below to view the top pensions for the City of Rockford:
Click here for a list of top 2017 Rockford Pensions.
“In Illinois, approximately 80% of local taxes go to pay the salaries and pensions of government employees. The Rockford budget for 2018 is for $139 million. That means payroll and pensions cost Rockford taxpayers well over $100 million a year.”
“It’s time for Rockford to cut spending and give taxpayers a break,” concluded Tobin.
“Home Rule gives unlimited taxing power to government bureaucrats. Vote no on March 20th.”

Back to Top