One way for the State to pay off the debt in one year ! Install speed cameras on all expressways and tollways and issue tickets to 90% of drivers that find it necessary to speed 25 and above the speed limit and drive like they are on the autobahn !

I was born and raised in Plainfield and come home periodically to see my mother and brother. Since leaving in 1980 it has become increasingly clear that Illinois is perhaps the most corrupt State in the Country with perhaps the strictest gun control law and highest crime rates in the country. (So much for gun control.) Taxes and crime are out of control, people are fleeing the state by the thousands, and even an Illinois state legislator resigned in protest and has moved out of state to get away from the corruption and excessive taxation. (An example or waistful, excessive spending) On a recent visist I saw the new Plainfield police station which is a beautiful large ediface with sufficient space for perhaps 250+ officers. It must have cost millions and is totally excessive for the needs of the Plainfield P.D. with perhaps 25-30 officers. As a retired law enforcement supervisor and adminstrator from a much, MUCH larger police organization in the Intermountain West, I chalked it up to more fleecing of Plainfield residents and excessive spending by politicians. BUT on the other hand, it is also a wonderful memorial to the politicians and a Chief of Police, who no doubt have their names engraved in some prominent location. Illinois citizens are fleeing the state by the thousands for safer environs, and a lower cost of living. People in Illinois need to start raising hell about the engrained corruption and excessive crippling taxes.

Do you guys realize legislation is in the works to pass on the 8.5% pension shortfall to the school districts in IL? Those school districts will have to pass that bill along to the property owner in the form of higher property tax bills. And it won't be done through referendum, either. Check it out. It's disgusting.

Blame Cities, Towns, Villagies , State and all Politicians that didn't pay their share towards the pension plans for years and years and borrowed against them and did not put the money back into them , thus causing the plans to be severely under funded! That's where the blame starts!

John,
You state that Police Offficers, Firemen and teachers "still deserve their much earned pensions!" Tell me, why do they deserve bloated pensions that we cannot afford afford and that are 50-100% higher and better than those in the private sector? Illinios spends an astronomical $20,000 per pupil, yet ask any board member from a first class private school and they'll tell you that running a good school costs about $10,000 per pupil. Illinois public education costs are double what they should be. If a mistaken promise was made years ago, why not ask public pensioners to give up some monthly income instead of asking taxpayers to pay more and more? Isn't the taxpayer's income likewise "much earned"?

The problem is not that the public pension systems are unsustainable. The problem is that the widepsread CORRUPTION of the public pension systems are unsustainable. Politicians raiding pension funds, adding dirty secret ways to draw pensions to which they (politicians) are not entitled, widespread inflation of retiring employees pay to artificially increase pensions as a form of bonus, etc. Weed out the corruption and the system works. Don't punish the public employees for the crooked actions of politicians.

Incidentally those "bloated" pensions were intended to make up for the sacrifices of those public employees. Teachers, firefighters and police officers have not been paid on a competitive basis with the public sector in the past. Pension was one way to compensate.

Of course you could cut those pensions (if it weren't unconstitutional) . . . and see the caliber of service you get then.

The State may have to consider bankruptsy to solve their problems, it worked for GM. GM is no able to once again pay all their CEO's millions in bonuses, American Airlines is trying to do the same thing,I have read of towns and citys in America trying to file bankruptsy, why not. If people would take a look at the pensions that some of our supposed to be retired politicians are getting and the medical benefits they also get , it would make you sick. All you ever hear about are the Police, the Firemen, the Teachers. They make nothing compared to the POLITICIANS, if you want to burn somebody at the stake go after the right person.

Police Officers and Firemen pay 9.5 % of their yearly salary into the pension plans for at least 30 + years and they don't have social security ! Like I said before its not their fault the pension plans are flawed! My wife works in the private sector and after working for two companies she will receive two pensions, 401's , and profit sharing and will make just as much money as a retired Police Officer and Firemen who actually put their lives on the line everyday to protect us! So that's reason they deserve their pensions !

There should be a Committee for Taxpayers present at all cozy Union-Politician negotiations. TAXPAYERS MUST GET OFF THEIR DUFFS AND START A PETITION OR REFERENDUM. A FULL PAGE AD IN THE TRIBUNE WOULD GARNER SUPPORT INITIALLY.The present arrangement of Union-Politician negotiation is simply a matter of mutual collusion with the absent taxpayers left paying the damages.One hand is washing the other and I believe the Mayor is terrified of the Unions. After Wisconsin.his reform ardor has cooled noticeably and he has become an ardent supporter of Union graft. Public- Private huge spending plans now underway naturally will result in cost over-runs &further bankrupt the over-burdened taxpayers to enrich Unions. HOW DARE THEY CONTINUE HUGE SPENDING WHEN WE HAVE MASSIVE DEBTS. The Committee representing taxpayers should be present at all negotiations and exempt the taxpayers from all cost over-runs. According to the Tribune, teachers are paying 2% for their medical, an insult.The Taxpayer Committee should have double the vote as we have to actually pay for Union-Politician unadultered graft. Are there any wealthy Illinoisians who could start a petition or referendum. We cannot just sit around and complain as they are organiZed and have no conscience about assaulting the taxpayer who does not know how to organize and are too busy working for a living. WE CANNOT GIVE UP. A FULL PAGE AD IN THE TRIBUNE, ETC. WOULD GARNER TREMENDOUS SUPPORT AND WE COULD BE IN CHARGE OF OWN FATE.

Tim you talk garbage ! "Good for them"! Trying doing their job and you would quit after a week! How do they not deserve anything?? Please elaborate! Also learn the pension code and laws and you will see its not the fault of the Police or firemen! Learn before you speak and spew nonsense from your mouth! Like the Police and firemen earn big hugh salaries! Not! Tim its your fault you didn't get a job that pays a pension! So deal with it! One other thing if pensions go broke the town or city and State has to still pay their pensions! So buckle up for tax increases!

People that dont know squat about pension plans and the constitution involving pension codes should learn something about them before leaving foolish comments!

John Moreli said: "Unions are strong and always prevail!"

In one sense, that is correct, because unions have been strong enough to destroy many American jobs, businesses, and even entire industries via excessive demands, creating conflict between labor and management, protection of of the incompetent, etc..

However, in the larger sense, if unions were so strong and always prevailed then why has union membership plummeted from a high of 20% to the current level of 11.8% of workers?

Public sector union membership (37%) is holding steady or increasing while private sector membership (6.9%) continues to decrease. The reason for that is basically because unions put their employer companies out of business.

However, with public sector jobs, the employers can't be put out of business not matter how inefficient the union makes things.

Stats: www.bls. gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf (remove the blank between dot and gov)

John, if unions are sooooo good why not make it voluntary? Why are employees forced to join a union and pay dues to the union bosses and Democratic machine if they want to work at a certain company??? WHY, because IF it was voluntary the unions would be GONE within 2 years. THAT is why the unions are trying, but will not succeed, in having Walker voted out. The common citizens are becoming more and more educated, and more and more sick of unions breaking companies and forcing businesses overseas. Why couldn't Boeing open a new plant in a right to work state ?? Unions and the demoncratic party!! Unions SUCK !

The State Constitition is safe for another 8 years thus protecting down state pensions for Police and Fire.
8 years from now the Consitution will be voted down once again based on some votes over the years!

Article XIV requires that Illinois voters be asked at least every 20 years if they desire a constitutional convention.[7] In 1988 the measure failed 900,109 votes for and 2,727,144 against the measure. 1,069,939 other voters chose neither option.[8] In 2008, the measure was also defeated by a wide margin,[9] 1,493,203 votes for and 3,062,724 against from a total of 5,539,172 votes cast. 983,245 voters chose neither option.[10]

John, I used to be in a union (not by choice) when I was much much younger. My 17 year old boys were forced to join a union when they went to work for Jewel part-time. They had to pay $100 initiation fee (not by choice) to the union, and they also must pay 50 cents per hour (not by choice) to the union for each of the 14 hours they work per week. JOHN, you never answered my question. If unions are soooo good WHY is it not voluntary?? John, the unions care NOTHING about the rank and file members. Wise up. It is all about collecting dues and having/keeping POWER!!! You think the union bosses care about you?? Try this... Tell your top union boss that you are a couple thousand $$ short this month ... See if HE gives it to you!!! Open you're eyes John!! Oh, and by the way, my retirement is self funded and I am/will be doing just fine. No Thanks to you, any union, or the government (read "taxpayer")

John Moreli said: "Tom please learn something about downstate pensions! To fund them has nothing to do with toll increases,food, gas or home values! Its based on a slight tax increases on your property tax! "

Uh my state income tax bill went up almost exactly 100% this year, due to the 67% income tax increase and to reductions in credits/deductions and because we earned slightly more in 2011 than we did in 2010. A 100% increase is hardly trivial.

My property tax is over $10k/yr - and has risen about 40% in the last eight years.

Cry me a river.

John Moreli said: "Do you know workers at private sector companies In Illinois can join a union and the company can not stop them from unionizing! That's why the Governor of Wisconsin is being recalled because of his union busting bill ,which will be overturned by a new Govenor !"

Walker did nothing to affect the unionization of private sector. He did restrict the collective bargaining rights of some public employees, which I think is a great thing.

The problem with unions in the public sector is that they employ so many people they can affect the outcome of an election which means they can force the rest of us to pay them more than we want to. Basically they are voting themselves raises and benefits which the rest of us are forced to fund.

When a union forces a private company to raise benefits and wages too high, then that private company goes out of business and is replaced by a more efficient and more competitive business. That's just not true with government agencies that are inefficient or too costly - they just keep raising the taxes. We have no choice but to pay, unlike with a private company, where we can vote with our dollars.

John Moreli said: "Tim you think unions suck because you don't belong to one and it appears you don't have a pension plan! No ones fault but yours. "

Are you kidding me? I would NEVER take a job that required me to join a union.

Once when I was much younger I scabbed at company. Union thugs shot and killed one of their members who decided to cross the picket line. They did that in front of his wife and five daughters in their living room.

The union pigs were incredibly racist and would take out their worst acts on blacks and Hispanics. They used to assault us when we'd go to/from work. They'd follow us home.

One my brothers was management at a company that had trucks. When the teamsters struck, he had to go out and drive. Union thugs pulled up in front of him and fired a high powered rifle out the back of their pickup truck into his engine block.

I detest unions and union members for what they have done to America.

Apparently none of the pro-union posters can answer this simple question:

"When pension payouts exceed what the participants contributed (plus contributions from the employer as well as earnings on investments made by the pension manager), then that pension is unsustainable.

Do you agree or disagree?

Possibly you can explain how a pension could be sustainable when it pays out more than it takes in."

Tony said: "GM is no able to once again pay all their CEO's millions in bonuses"

Tony, GM has ONE CEO.

(to the moderator who deleted a similar comment, what is wrong with asking that)