IEA, IFT leaders respond to the Tribune

The hits just keep on coming.

The Chicago Tribune, sometimes via an editorial, sometimes via opinion columns written by freelance writers, is waging a relentless war against public employees over state pensions.

Last Tuesday, the Tribune published a column under the byline of Dennis Byrne, a member of the paper’s editorial board and a longtime outspoken conservative.  But the influence of the real author, Commercial Club of Chicago President, Eden Martin was obvious.

Martin, a millionaire who retired as a partner from the high-priced Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin a few years ago, is dedicating his remaining years to taking pensions away from education employees, safety and law enforcement employees, state workers and anyone else who has a pension to which the taxpayers contribute.

Last Tuesday’s column was a little different from previous attacks in that it was a fact-free attack and appeared  to be crafted solely to scare the heck out of everyone relying on a state pension.  The column obscured the cause for the state pension crisis (the legislature underfunded the pensions to avoid tax increases), while disregarding the constitutional protections for members of the pension system and their pensions (by law, the state is obligated to make its pension payments).

The presidents of the state’s two major education employees unions, Ken Swanson of the the Illinois Education Association and Ed Geppert of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, got together and crafted a response to the column and submitted it to the Tribune last week.  To date, there has been no response from the Tribune.

We thought you would want to read it.  Feel free to comment below:

Op-Ed Submitted to the Chicago Tribune

How much longer will the Chicago Tribune allow itself to be used as a tool of terror by millionaire Eden Martin in his quest to deprive hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans of the reasonable retirement they, in large part, have paid for?

The August 10 opinion piece, ostensibly written by public relations specialist Dennis Byrne, is a blatant attempt to frighten and intimidate innocent people who simply expect the State of Illinois to keep its promises.

Byrne/Martin’s claim that the state pension shortfall was caused by overly-generous pension benefits paid to state employees and teachers is provably false.  And they know it.

They also know that suggesting that police officers, fire fighters, teachers, and state workers could be denied the reasonable retirements promised them is an unconscionable use of a newspaper to force a surrender by those who continue to work hard and well for the people of Illinois.

Enough.

We, and the 236,000 Illinoisans we represent, believe the facts matter.  Even on the opinion page:

FACT – The state’s pension debt was caused by politicians who habitually refused, over decades, to pay the state’s modest share of pension costs, using the money instead to stave off needed tax increases.  The legislature’s bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability found that from FY 1996 through FY 2008, the state’s pension debt grew by $35.6 billion. Of this, $30.3 billion (85%) is the result of factors not attributable to employees (53% the state’s failure to pay its share, 24% early retirement incentives, 8% poor stock performance).

FACT – Four of five state pension system annuitants rely solely on their pensions for survival.  By Illinois law, contributors to the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and the State University Retirement System (SURS) are barred from receiving full social security benefits, even when they have been earned from non-education employment.

FACT – Public employees contribute significantly to the cost of their pensions. Teachers pay 9.4% of their salary directly into TRS. State employees on the alternative formula contribute 8.5% of their pay into SERS. And state employees on the standard formula in effect contribute 7% of their checks-4% deducted, and an additional 3% in the form of a pay raise given up in 1998, with the understanding this amount would go directly into the pension fund.

FACT – The typical retired state employee on the standard formula-those who do receive Social Security, including the caregiver for the disabled, the child protection worker, the state park employee-earns a pension of about $22,000 a year.

FACT – Illinois law clearly states that pension payments payment are, “obligations of the State.” (40 ILCS 5/16-158(c))

It’s clear that Byrne and Martin’s scare tactics are nothing more than that. Respected judges and other legal analysts have also said cutting pension benefits for current public employees is unconstitutional. The law firm which once employed Eden Martin as a partner (from which he retired with a retirement package that a teacher could never even dream of enjoying), has failed to produce a signed opinion that refutes this basic fact.

Eden Martin, Dennis Byrne and the Tribune want the public to forget that the pension shortfall is the result of bad financial management by the State.  They want everyone to forget that the present and future annuitants have always paid their share.

We won’t let that happen.

The truth should not be ignored or distorted.  Even on the opinion page.

Ken Swanson – President, Illinois Education Association

Ed Geppert – President, Illinois Federation of Teachers