For Immediate Release
March 18, 2009
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Gail Purkey or Dave Comerford
217/544-8562 |
Governor’s budget plan is flawed
Statement of IFT President Ed Geppert, Jr.
Governor Quinn’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget recommends a tax increase – a much needed and long overdue action to provide desperately needed funding for our state. Unfortunately, this one bit of positive news is submerged in a flawed budget proposal that won’t fix the state’s structural deficit and will cause serious harm to those who deliver education and state services.
The most egregious failing of this budget is the reintroduction of another pension gimmick. This scheme will cost taxpayers more in the long run. Again, the state will skip required pension payments. The result will be increased interest owed on that debt for decades to come. This was a bad idea when Governor Blagojevich and his budget director John Filan first proposed it. Being proposed by Gov. Quinn does not make it any better. When the people of Illinois removed Gov. Blagojevich from office, they expected to bid farewell to his budget gimmicks.
Teachers and state employees have always paid their share of pension costs. Our state’s pension problems were caused by governors and lawmakers of both political parties failing to make the required payments to the pension system. Our pension systems are actually a good deal for taxpayers when the state lives up to its commitment and makes the required payments. The state’s normal pension cost is equal to the employer cost for Social Security, and over the next 20 years costs will continue to decrease, making our current pension system more affordable than Social Security.
This budget does nothing to support those men and women considering a career in education. Drastically cutting benefits and increasing costs for future teachers will make it very difficult for school districts to attract and retain good teachers. Young teachers will be forced to pay more for less. It is not in the best interest of students to have 67-year-old teachers in a crowded kindergarten classroom. School districts will also suffer because they will have to pay higher salaries for veteran teachers who cannot retire.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers will adamantly oppose attempts to balance the budget on the backs of teachers and their retirement. Teachers are taxpaying citizens; they will pay any tax increase that becomes law. They also pay more than nine percent of their salary for their pensions. This is already the second highest contribution rate in the country.
The governor’s proposal is the equivalent of a 2 percent pay cut for teachers, school employees, university and state employees. The IFT will oppose this proposal as it currently exists.
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The Illinois Federation of Teachers represents 90,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in PreK-12 school districts throughout Illinois, faculty and staff at Illinois’ community colleges and universities, public employees under every statewide elected constitutional officer, and retirees.
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