State pension rules have it backward

I am writing to thank you for the excellent article by Jake Griffin on the behavior of one Peter Murphy of the Illinois Association of Park Districts.

I found his smiling picture very funny since he is clearly laughing all the way to the bank. The only thing missing from is picture is a set of numbers under his chin as if he were under arrest for a crime.

It was a brilliant stroke of journalism genius to put a face and show the math of how spiking and our lax pension rules have contributed to the destruction of our financial affairs here in Illinois.

I find it amazing that not one TV or radio station picked up on this story since it would clearly resonate with the voters.

As our government stands partially shuttered; I wonder how much money could have been saved over the years by eliminating such disgusting pension tactics. Imagine the number of social programs that are now being closed that could have been funded by $400,000 pension plans.

How many orphans can you feed with $400,000 a year? My guess is quite a few. How many elderly people could have been assisted with medical and food bills instead of the money going to public workers who barely contribute to their pensions?

I think what Illinois has shown is that hard work and trying to build a business or work as a loyal employee to a company was a "sucker's" choice. We all should have gone to work for the state of Illinois and collected fat pensions.

Oh wait. I forgot. Someone has to pay for all this waste and corruption. The working men and women of the state of Illinois are in effect working to support a small greedy group of public workers.

I think the definition of a public servant needs to be reversed the public of Illinois is working so that the state pension class can have servants in their retirements.

Bill Loebbaka

Mount Prospect