Use common sense on pension problem

There's been a lot of hand-wringing lately about Illinois' $42 billion unfunded pension liability and the $22 billion deficit in the teachers pension fund. But there hasn't been any mention of the correlation between teacher strikes, higher salaries and their impact upon the pension system.

Illinois is one of only a handful of states that still allows teachers to strike. What do the majority of other states know that Illinois chooses to ignore? It's the fact that the ability to strike empowers teacher unions to strike at the drop of a hat. For example, in 2005, when the private sector was either getting laid off or 0 percent to 3 percent raises, Naperville Unit District 203 offered an outrageous and unaffordable 4.99 percent per year increase to their teachers. And the teachers still threatened to strike! They ended up getting 5.2 percent, and incredible retirement enhancements. These out-of-touch salary increases and golden parachute retirement packages end up putting a huge drain on the Illinois pension system.

So why hasn't Illinois done anything about this common sense fix that virtually every other state has already figured out? Follow the money. The Illinois Political Action Committee for Education has donated millions to politicians. What politician is going to take on the powerful IPACE? The other contributing factor to 5-plus percent salary increases is the fact that many school boards owe their elections to the support of their local teachers union.

The solution to the Illinois pension crisis is simple: common sense and backbone.

Mike Davitt

Naperville