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Broke Ass Illinois

WestlinnDuckWestlinnDuck Member Posts: 15,677 Standard Supporter
You elect a dem president in 2020 and a dem senate, we will be bailing this sh*t out with our great grandchildren's tax dollars.


https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/why-illinois-broke-109881-public-employees-100000-paychecks-cost-taxpayers-14b

Why Illinois Is Broke: 109,881 Public Employees With $100,000+ Paychecks Cost Taxpayers $14B

Illinois could soon be the first state in history to have its bonds rated as “junk.” Last month, both Moody’s MCO and Standard & Poor’s downgraded Illinois debt to just one notch above junk status.

Last week, the Illinois State Senate President Don Harmon (D-Chicago) wrote a letter to Congress requesting a $41.6 billion bailout. Critics balked.

In many ways, Illinois may have already crossed the Rubicon.

Our analysis at OpenTheBooks.com shows that an Illinois family of four now owes more in unfunded pension liabilities ($76,000) than they earn in household income ($63,585). In a state of 13 million residents, every man, woman, and child owes $19,000 — on an estimated $251 billion pension liability.

Our auditors discovered 110,000 public employees and retirees who earned more than $100,000 last year.



We found tree trimmers in Chicago making $106,663; nurses at state corrections earning up to $277,100; junior college presidents making $491,095; university doctors earning up to $2 million; and 111 small town managers who out-earned every governor of the 50 states ($202,000).

Auditing Illinois’ large pay and pension systems

Here’s a system by system break down with the head counts of employees and retirees who made more than $100,000 per year:

Public schools (35,000) – Last year, nearly 22,000 educators earned a six-figure salary while more than 13,500 retirees received six-figure pensions. Six retired superintendents pocketed $300,000+ pensions, including Lawrence Wyllie (Lincoln-Way CHSD 210 – $341,019); Henry Bangser (New Trier Township HSD 203 – $331,489); Gary Catalani (Wheaton-Warrenville Unit SD 200 – $330,015); Laura Murray (Homewood-Flossmoor CHSD 233 – $324,677); and Mary Curley (Hinsdale CCSD 181 – $315,336).

Chicago (22,000) – We calculated that the city paid out $521.2 million in extra pay (overtime, vacation, supplemental, fitness, etc.) above base salaries. Four deputy fire chiefs made between $314,983 and $351,715. Police officers made up to $272,672 and EMT’s up to $270,851. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) paid line workers up to $300,135, telephone line workers up to $282,123, and escalator mechanics up to $203,855.

Colleges & universities (16,000) – Bradley Underwood made $2.9 million as the basketball coach at the University of Illinois. Junior college power couple Dale Chapman ($491,095) and Linda Terrill Chapman ($242,070) combined for a $733,000 income at Lewis and Clark Community College. Fady Toufic Charbel ($2 million); Mark Gonzalez ($1.1 million); and Konstantin Slavin ($1 million) are million-dollar doctors at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). A UIC pension paying out $524,865 goes to a retired doctor, Tapas Das Gupta.

State of Illinois (15,000) – Six-figure salaries and pension payouts amounted to $1.8 billion last year. Five barbers at Corrections made over $100,000 while eight nurses at Veterans, Human Services and Corrections made between $200,000 and $277,100. Eight troopers and police officers at the Tollway Authority made between $200,000 and $277,000. A court-ordered monitor, Dr. Stewart Pablo, cost taxpayers $327,600 to report on the lack of mental healthcare availability within the prison system — $1 million in total during the past three years.

Cities & villages (8,000) – Small town managers rake in the pay, perks, and pension benefits. These administrators include Michael Ellis (Village of Grayslake – $296,654); Richard Nahrstadt (Village of Northbrook – $290,603); Dane Bragg (Village of Buffalo Grove — $280,000); Patrick Nagle (Village of Rosemont — $279,523); Michael Cassady (Village of Mount Prospect — $278,282); and Reid Ottesen (Village of Palatine – $274,067). The Wheaton Park District conferred a $273,243 pension on retired administrator Elizabeth Kutska.



Highly compensated locals

DuPage County employees have a history of hefty salaries and pensions. Anthony Charlton, director of Stormwater Management, made $253,420. Five more county administrators made over $202,000 last year. Dewey Hartman, a chief deputy police officer, received $324,431 – a $159,574 bump in his final year. Hartman now receives a $176,872 pension.

Local park district administrators outearned the state director of parks ($116,500). These included James Pilmer ($212,794) at Fox Valley; Raymond McGury ($209,443) at Naperville; and Michael Bernard ($206,819) at Wheaton. However, the top two pensions exceeded the highest salaries: Elizabeth Kutska ($273,242) from Wheaton; and Steven Messerli ($215,484) from Fox Valley.

Library, forest preserve and even water district employees tapped into the largess. Brian Dorn pulled down $247,071 at North Shore Water Reclamation while Edward Stevenson made $214,856 at the Forest Preserve of DuPage County. Gayle Mountcastle made $190,318 at the small Park Ridge Public Library and out-earned Brian Bannon, CEO of the Chicago Public Library ($167,004).

Possible solutions to the Illinois crisis

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker wants to hike the income tax during a recession. The proposal would change the state constitution to allow for a progressive income tax. Currently, the Illinois income tax is a flat rate tax.

Last week, Illinois State Senate President Don Harmon wrote a letter to Congress asking for a $40 billion bailout. $10 billion in bailout would be used for pension plan solvency.

This week, U.S. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell suggested another path, “I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route.” McConnell specifically mentioned Illinois along with Connecticut, California, and New York.

Comments

  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 23,657
    That is some fucked up shit right there. I'm sure it's the tip of the iceberg.
  • doogiedoogie Member Posts: 15,072

    That is some fucked up shit right there. I'm sure it's the tip of the iceberg.

    So are you a BK or bailout guy?
  • MontlakeBridgeTrollMontlakeBridgeTroll Member Posts: 925
    As a slightly left of center Dem, I am in no way in favor of bailing out Illinois.

    Let the public employees take paycuts, same with the pensioners. Start with those making over $100k/yr.

    Oh, and since Boeing moved their HQ there, raise state corporate taxes.
  • WestlinnDuckWestlinnDuck Member Posts: 15,677 Standard Supporter
    Boeing has to make money to pay taxes. Their accountants fixed that.
  • MontlakeBridgeTrollMontlakeBridgeTroll Member Posts: 925

    Boeing has to make money to pay taxes. Their accountants fixed that.

    They made a fucking shitload before last year. Profit too. I think Illinois cut that some special tax loopholes when they lured them from Washington.

    BTW, Mitch McConnells Kentucky gets so much more money from the feds than they pay in taxes, that it dwarfs the request by Illinois But I'm still against bailing out Illinois. Let's cut off pig-teet Mitch too though.
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 23,657
    doogie said:

    That is some fucked up shit right there. I'm sure it's the tip of the iceberg.

    So are you a BK or bailout guy?
    I didn't cause the problem; so I don't want to have a hand in paying for it. Not one red penny.

    So,



  • BendintheriverBendintheriver Member Posts: 6,178 Standard Supporter
    If you bail them out, there will be zero lesson. You will just be kicking the can down the road and the problem will just get worse.

    But let's be honest here. Democrat leadership will always vote for the bailout.
  • WestlinnDuckWestlinnDuck Member Posts: 15,677 Standard Supporter

    The standard trick in gubmint work is to retire with full pension, then come back as an independent contractor/consultant creating havoc for the successor they never trained for succession in the first place - which then makes the retiree/contractor even more valuable and they negotiate a bigger contract.

    The other trick is that the pension payout is usually a large percentage of you last one or two or three year's average wage. So, anyone retiring in the next year is given a boatload of overtime. In Oregon, Multnomah County sheriff's working at the jail were making $200,000 their last year based on massive overtime. Because you government cares.
  • BendintheriverBendintheriver Member Posts: 6,178 Standard Supporter
    They are literally stealing from the private tax payer. Those who voted themselves and all other public employees these amazing retirement plans and the corruption it leads to, should all be in jail.
  • RoadTripRoadTrip Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 7,920 Founders Club

    The standard trick in gubmint work is to retire with full pension, then come back as an independent contractor/consultant creating havoc for the successor they never trained for succession in the first place - which then makes the retiree/contractor even more valuable and they negotiate a bigger contract.

    The other trick is that the pension payout is usually a large percentage of you last one or two or three year's average wage. So, anyone retiring in the next year is given a boatload of overtime. In Oregon, Multnomah County sheriff's working at the jail were making $200,000 their last year based on massive overtime. Because you government cares.
    Vacation time as well. It's a massive scam here in CA too. I know 2 firefighters and a cop who have all just retired before 55. All 3 took multiple vacation days in their last 3 years but somehow they magically hadn't taken a vacation in years. Their retirement year of income was padded by 50-100% with overtime and years of "saved vacation". This means the will receive a certain percentage of their final years average income for the rest of their lives and in most cases their spouse's lives. How would you advise your children?
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 23,657

    The standard trick in gubmint work is to retire with full pension, then come back as an independent contractor/consultant creating havoc for the successor they never trained for succession in the first place - which then makes the retiree/contractor even more valuable and they negotiate a bigger contract.

    The other trick is that the pension payout is usually a large percentage of you last one or two or three year's average wage. So, anyone retiring in the next year is given a boatload of overtime. In Oregon, Multnomah County sheriff's working at the jail were making $200,000 their last year based on massive overtime. Because you government cares.
    Vacation time as well. It's a massive scam here in CA too. I know 2 firefighters and a cop who have all just retired before 55. All 3 took multiple vacation days in their last 3 years but somehow they magically hadn't taken a vacation in years. Their retirement year of income was padded by 50-100% with overtime and years of "saved vacation". This means the will receive a certain percentage of their final years average income for the rest of their lives and in most cases their spouse's lives. How would you advise your children?
    The only downside to a career in government, unless it's at a pretty high level that makes you attractive to the private sector when you leave (like, for example, working for the SEC in a substantive role), is that you have no realistic experience and no idea what it takes to hump in the private sector. You work for the gov. too long and you'll become unemployable if, for whatever reason, you have to leave.

    I myself couldn't do it.
  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 107,544 Founders Club

    The standard trick in gubmint work is to retire with full pension, then come back as an independent contractor/consultant creating havoc for the successor they never trained for succession in the first place - which then makes the retiree/contractor even more valuable and they negotiate a bigger contract.

    The other trick is that the pension payout is usually a large percentage of you last one or two or three year's average wage. So, anyone retiring in the next year is given a boatload of overtime. In Oregon, Multnomah County sheriff's working at the jail were making $200,000 their last year based on massive overtime. Because you government cares.
    Vacation time as well. It's a massive scam here in CA too. I know 2 firefighters and a cop who have all just retired before 55. All 3 took multiple vacation days in their last 3 years but somehow they magically hadn't taken a vacation in years. Their retirement year of income was padded by 50-100% with overtime and years of "saved vacation". This means the will receive a certain percentage of their final years average income for the rest of their lives and in most cases their spouse's lives. How would you advise your children?
    The only downside to a career in government, unless it's at a pretty high level that makes you attractive to the private sector when you leave (like, for example, working for the SEC in a substantive role), is that you have no realistic experience and no idea what it takes to hump in the private sector. You work for the gov. too long and you'll become unemployable if, for whatever reason, you have to leave.

    I myself couldn't do it.
    The GC I worked at a few years ago during my comeback hired a guy that had extensive "experience" working on the LA rapid transit train. Top notch PM

    After I fired him after a few weeks of poor performance and inability to get anything done we looked at his computer and he had youtube videos of how to be a PM

    We would have respected porn more
  • KaepskneeKaepsknee Member Posts: 14,886

    The standard trick in gubmint work is to retire with full pension, then come back as an independent contractor/consultant creating havoc for the successor they never trained for succession in the first place - which then makes the retiree/contractor even more valuable and they negotiate a bigger contract.

    The other trick is that the pension payout is usually a large percentage of you last one or two or three year's average wage. So, anyone retiring in the next year is given a boatload of overtime. In Oregon, Multnomah County sheriff's working at the jail were making $200,000 their last year based on massive overtime. Because you government cares.
    Vacation time as well. It's a massive scam here in CA too. I know 2 firefighters and a cop who have all just retired before 55. All 3 took multiple vacation days in their last 3 years but somehow they magically hadn't taken a vacation in years. Their retirement year of income was padded by 50-100% with overtime and years of "saved vacation". This means the will receive a certain percentage of their final years average income for the rest of their lives and in most cases their spouse's lives. How would you advise your children?
    The only downside to a career in government, unless it's at a pretty high level that makes you attractive to the private sector when you leave (like, for example, working for the SEC in a substantive role), is that you have no realistic experience and no idea what it takes to hump in the private sector. You work for the gov. too long and you'll become unemployable if, for whatever reason, you have to leave.

    I myself couldn't do it.
    The GC I worked at a few years ago during my comeback hired a guy that had extensive "experience" working on the LA rapid transit train. Top notch PM

    After I fired him after a few weeks of poor performance and inability to get anything done we looked at his computer and he had youtube videos of how to be a PM

    We would have respected porn more
    Sounds like that GC deserved 0-12.
  • doogiedoogie Member Posts: 15,072
    1-11

    after all he DID get Race out of the Tent, off the Street and back to WORK!
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 23,657

    The standard trick in gubmint work is to retire with full pension, then come back as an independent contractor/consultant creating havoc for the successor they never trained for succession in the first place - which then makes the retiree/contractor even more valuable and they negotiate a bigger contract.

    The other trick is that the pension payout is usually a large percentage of you last one or two or three year's average wage. So, anyone retiring in the next year is given a boatload of overtime. In Oregon, Multnomah County sheriff's working at the jail were making $200,000 their last year based on massive overtime. Because you government cares.
    Vacation time as well. It's a massive scam here in CA too. I know 2 firefighters and a cop who have all just retired before 55. All 3 took multiple vacation days in their last 3 years but somehow they magically hadn't taken a vacation in years. Their retirement year of income was padded by 50-100% with overtime and years of "saved vacation". This means the will receive a certain percentage of their final years average income for the rest of their lives and in most cases their spouse's lives. How would you advise your children?
    The only downside to a career in government, unless it's at a pretty high level that makes you attractive to the private sector when you leave (like, for example, working for the SEC in a substantive role), is that you have no realistic experience and no idea what it takes to hump in the private sector. You work for the gov. too long and you'll become unemployable if, for whatever reason, you have to leave.

    I myself couldn't do it.
    The GC I worked at a few years ago during my comeback hired a guy that had extensive "experience" working on the LA rapid transit train. Top notch PM

    After I fired him after a few weeks of poor performance and inability to get anything done we looked at his computer and he had youtube videos of how to be a PM

    We? would have respected porn more
    Ftfy.

    And, me too.
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 23,657
    dnc said:

    You can't bail them out. A state that offers salaries and benefits like this gets a massive competitive advantage over states that choose fiscal responsibility. To bail them out rewards them for screwing over the other 49 states for years and tests other states to do the same shit.

    FUCK THAT ILLINOISE

    ISWYDT
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