Amend constitution to solve pension crisis

In an effort to make a dent in the Illinois budget crisis, several partial solutions have arisen that require amendments to the Illinois State Constitution.

The most recent proposal include eliminating the office of lieutenant governor and a graduated income tax. While I am in favor of eliminating the office of lieutenant governor and consolidating the offices of treasurer and comptroller, much more information is required to make an informed decision on a graduated income tax.

However, there is at least one other amendment to our state constitution that must be considered now. pme that addresses the pension crisis.

Over the past several years, many proposals have been brought forward, some even made into law, in an attempt to end run the need for an Illinois constitutional amendment that addresses the pension crisis. To date these attempts have not survived challenges in the courts. I also don't expect that future legislative attempts to avoid the need for a constitutional amendment to allow pension changes for existing employees will survive court challenges either.

I have never understood why a constitutional amendment has received virtually no discussion at the Illinois state government level and in the media since it is a necessary first step to address the root cause of our pension problem. During the years since pensions for new employees were changed almost on the fly while the real solution to pensions for existing employees was ignored, the underfunded pension problem has and will continue to worsen significantly.

Because of the severity of the financial crisis of the state of Illinois, it is imperative that we stop wasting time and address the pension crisis directly with an amendment to the Illinois State Constitution now.

Carol Schmidt

Naperville