Column’s focus should be lawmakers

One wonders if the purpose of Jake Griffin’s Tax Watchdog column was to “stir the pot” — so that the private sector readers will be against the pensions and benefits legally earned by the public worker.

Shouldn’t the focus have been on the Springfield politicians who did not think long term when they created multibillion dollar deficits by failing to fund them? Even your pension editorial admitted this was “shameful.”

Why not put the Daily Herald reporter resources to better use by reviewing the history of the decades of failed payments and who was specifically responsible for this life-changing lapse in good judgment? Biographies of the lawmakers who were responsible what the reasons given for the nonpayments should be revealed.

The Illinois Constitution protects public employee pensions, and any attempt to slash the pension invites wasteful taxpayer dollars in any legal battle. Shouldn’t a state pension promise made at the time of hire be a state pension promise kept? Why isn’t the Tax Watchdog more concerned with past lawmakers failures than with trying to seemingly trying to punish current employees and retirees?

One of the major responsibilities of any good newspaper is to hold those responsible accountable. The great state of Illinois has the ability to pay down its pension debt — all it takes is for lawmakers to do so. Why not have Jake start a new column titled ”Legislative Laggards” and have him get to the real reasons on why pensions are such a hot topic?

Jim Lentz

Wheaton