Leaders must cut pension benefits

I moved into this area two years ago and was shocked to see on the Cook County Tax bill the amount of pension and healthcare shortage for each taxing district. It means these districts are not funding on a current basis their obligations in these areas. But the situation is even worse than I thought because the shortage is growing dramatically.

I compared the shortage on the 2016 tax bill to the shortage on the 2014 tax bill and it doubled from $8 billion to $16 billion. The Cook County shortage grew from $7 Billion to $14 billion.

Hoffman Estates' village shortage grew from $85 million to $120 million. Every taxing district saw the shortage grow.

It is time for elected officials to take drastic action to cut these employee pension and healthcare benefits significantly and increase funding for them.

If these current benefits were funded on a current basis with additional taxes as they should be, these officials would be voted out of office.

These elected officials are abdicating their responsibilities to receive these benefits themselves and should all be removed from office for people who will take the necessary actions.

John Stevens

Hoffman Estates