To: The Illinois State House, The Illinois State Senate, and Governor J.B. Pritzker
Balance Illinois's budget correctly
Balance the Illinois budget and get the state back to fiscal responsibility by cutting the past and present legislators' and governors' fully funded 100% salary pensions first before cutting any other state employees' pensions.
Why is this important?
As a retired teacher, I worked for 37 years and paid into the Teacher Retirement System with the understanding that the state would also do the same, and that one day I would get 75% of an average salary for my retirement. Sadly, the leaders in Illinois don't keep their promises. Now the state wants to cut my retirement while the governors and legislators, both past and present, even if they served only one term, keep receiving 100% of their salary for life as their retirement. And if they 'served' in more than one office, their get their salary from each one! There's the financial drain for the state, NOT the teachers, state troopers, and other state employees whose salaries and retirement percentages don't compare to the governor and legislators.