UPDATE: The Illinois Legislature passed some semblance of pension reform tonight. See more details at Illinois Review.

According to school board member Tim Millar:

The bond issues will nearly double our debt from $63,000,000 to $114,000,000. This approximate $51,000,000 includes the bonds and the interest over the life of the bond. This is a $51,000,000 tax increase over 20 years to all D15 tax payers.

You can read how the school district spins it at their website

Basically, what is happening is the district wants to increase and extend the debt the district owes with new debt. The taxpayer gets saddled with current and a larger future debt and they don’t even get to say yes or no. This is just more government arrogance and the trampling of taxpayers. To stop this atrocity, visit Tim Millar’s site and help him gather signatures to force the district to put this on the ballot.

The revised numbers indicate that Illinois’ unfunded promises for state employees’ health care benefits now exceed $39.9 billion. As of June 30, 2007 this amount was calculated to be $23.9 billion. We have yet to determine why this liability went up by $16 billion in one year.

Illinois is also the worst offender in funding pensions [Emphasis mine]:

The worst case was Illinois, with a $54 billion gap between the cost of the benefits it had promised to pay retirees over the next 30 years and the amount it had set aside.

“Recessions and investment losses played smaller roles in the creation of this problem,” said Susan K. Urahn, the center’s managing director. “To a significant degree, the $1 trillion gap reflects states’ own policy choices and lack of discipline.”

The State Legislature has a spending problem and have for years. The taxpayers cannot and should not bail them out again with a tax increase. They have proven over and over again, they cannot be trusted with more of our money.

By Bill Zettler

RE: Retirement Benefits for State Employees vs. Non-state Employees.

NOTE: 320,000 of Illinois 6.5 million workers (5%) are eligible for state pension and retiree health care.

1. Why can 5% of Illinois workers retire with full pension and healthcare benefits at age 55 while the 95% have to wait until 65?
2. Why do 5% of Illinois workers have a constitutionally guaranteed pension while the 95% have no guarantee with Social Security or 401K’s?
3. Why do 5% of Illinois workers have superior retirement benefits compared to the other 95%?
4. Why do 5% of Illinois workers contribute an average of 8.4% of their pay to retire with health care at 55 while the 95% contribute 12% to retire with health care at 65?
5. Why is 25% of the 2014 state budget needed to fund retirement for 5% of Illinois workers?
6. Why do the 95% have to guarantee all investment losses for the pensions of the 5% when their own pension investments are not guaranteed?
7. Why do public employees average 5.5% – 7% salary increases per year while Social Security members average 4% per year?
8. Would state pensions have a surplus if pension payments were made on 4% salary increase and 12% employee contribution since 1990?
9. Why do 140,000 state university employees and state employees pay zero for health care while working and during retirement?
10. Why do the 95% have to pay a $130,000/yr pension for a 56-year old music teacher?
11. Why will the 95% have to pay $100,000 pensions for the 14,000 public school employees who make more than $10,000/mo when there are 75,000 certified teachers not teaching?

3,597 Illinois “Public Servants” Receive $100,000 Plus.

Pensions In 2009 Up 12% From 2008.

• 96 of the Top 100 are educators
• The Top 13 come from the state universities
• A $100,000 pension at age 55 is worth $2.4 million in cash
• Sixty-three State Employees Had Pensions Greater Than President Clinton’s Pension
• Average Pension (top 100) – $212,407

The purpose of this letter is to inform the Grayslake School District 46 Board members that several parent groups and citizen activist have contacted my office (Americans for Prosperity: www.afpil.org) requesting our assistance in educating the Grayslake School District 46 Board members on the values of transparency within government bodies. Specifically, Americans for Prosperity will be educating and engaging the general public on the need for the Grayslake School District 46 Board to develop and produce an on-line check register.

Americans for Prosperity is a national grassroots – government watchdog organization. We have state-based chapters in 25 states with over 800,000 members nationwide. The Illinois chapter of AFP was formed in August of 2006. Currently, AFP-IL has over 20,000 members throughout the state with over 800 members residing in Lake County, Illinois.

We’re focused on sound public policy issues such as fewer taxes, less government, a more transparent and accountable government and more personal freedom. Our mission is pretty simple; AFP-IL educates and empowers citizens to hold their elected officials accountable for how they spend our tax dollars. .

For the past two years, AFP was the leading force behind a bi-partisan effort to pass the first ever, transparency legislation in the state of Illinois. Through all our battles, exposing government waste, filing lawsuits against our state’s governor and senate president, testifying at numerous committee hearings, fighting the efforts of the special interest groups and certain lawmakers who were opposed to government transparency, I am proud to say, that on August 17, 2009, Governor Patrick Quinn signed our transparency legislation (House Bill 35) into law.

House Bill 35 will create the “Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal (ITAP)” requiring the Department of Central Management Services to create an online searchable web site with information regarding state expenditures, tax credits, state employee salaries, and state contracts.

AFP believes that taxpayers deserve to know how their money is spent. Traditional budget publications are often inaccessible, incomplete and very difficult for ordinary taxpayers to understand. This opaque process creates a perception of bureaucrats funding unnecessary or even corrupt programs. It is incumbent upon government to make proper use of technology to provide transparency in government.

AFP believes that an online database, with technology familiar to most citizens can be used to create accountability and openness. Creating an on-line check register for the Grayslake School District 46 would bear little cost, and would allow spending information to be easily accessible to the public. This is a nonpartisan issue and follows common-sense principles of good government.

Our Founding Fathers believed that the source of America’s greatness was its people, not its government. This led Thomas Jefferson to state the following reflecting on government transparency:

“We might hope to see finances of the Union as clear and as intelligent as a merchant’s books, so that every member of Congress and every man of any mind in the Union should be able to comprehend them, to investigate abuses, and consequently control them”

Jefferson’s statement rings true for every level of government, especially here in Illinois. I respectfully encourage the Grayslake School District 46 Board to embrace these concepts and provide your constituents with the open government our Founding Fathers intended.

I look forward to discussing this issue with the Grayslake School District 46 Board at future school board meetings. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions and/or concerns.

Sincerely,

Joe Calomino

State Director
Americans for Prosperity
200 S. Wacker, Suite 4000
Chicago, Illinois 606060
312-768-2373 – Office

joe.calomino@afphq.org
www.afpil.org

CC.
Ellen Correll
Keith E. Surroz
Karen L.Weinert
Susan Facklam
Ray Millington
Michael C Linder
Mary Garcia
Michael Carbone

I will continue to update you on the efforts and call for you help in letting the school board members know that we need transparency in their spending. The district is facing cuts of over $2 million dollars again this coming year and we need to know where all the money has gone. How much money was really spent on sending teachers/administrators to Disney World? What other trips have been taken and how much have they cost?

Here are a few past stories of district expenditures:

• D46 ADMIN PAY RAISES? – http://educationmatters.us/2009/05/04/d46-admin-pay-raises/
• GRAYSLAKE ELEMENTARY CUTS 29 JOBS – WHO’S TO BLAME – http://educationmatters.us/2009/03/26/grayslake-elementary-cuts-29-jobs-–-whos-to-blame/
• Grayslake school district employees going to Disney World – http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=334943
• Dist. 46 board says sending group to Disney money well spent – http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=336703
• Money tight? Let’s go to Disney World – http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=335303
• DISTRICT 46 PAID FOR AWARDS – http://educationmatters.us/2008/06/11/district-46-paid-for-awards/
• DISTRICT 46 SUPERINTENDENT ELLEN CORRELL DEFENDS PAYING FOR CONSULTANT WHO GAVE AWARDS – http://educationmatters.us/2008/06/12/district-46-superintendent-ellen-correll-defends-paying-for-consultant-who-gave-awards/

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