State pensioners are the victims

State pensioners are the victims

One wonders why our legislators and the Daily Herald do not focus on the initial promise made by the state to the employee when first hired. The retirees are not the cause of the state’s pension problems — they are the victims.

Incredibly, I have heard, live, the following statements from our very own legislators: “We must reset the promise,” “We cannot trust the Illinois legislators” and “No promise is absolute.” I even have an email from a Daily Herald editor that states, “the retiree should have known that the initial state promise made was a bad deal and could not be kept by the state.”

One wonders why the state required workers to continue to pay into the system, if the state knew it could not keep its contractual promise to the good faith worker.

I do hope the Illinois Supreme Court upholds the Constitution that states that benefits shall not be diminished or impaired. The state financial crisis was caused by politicians who failed to perform their fiscal duty to taxpayers.

Just as the taxpayers expect their Social Security and Medicare payments to made to them during all of their retirement years, shouldn’t the Land of Lincoln make good on promised pension, compounded cost-of-living and insurance benefits?

Jim Lentz

Wheaton