Get informed on public pension crisis

I've been a firefighter for 23 years. My occupation is at the center of the discussion on the public pension funding crisis. We have all seen numerous articles, letters and Op Ed pieces on the crisis. Much is being made of the "extravagant" and "outrageous" pensions we, the firefighters, police officers and teachers of this state, have negotiated.

Recently, a Fence Post writer said, "Most taxpayers in Illinois are paying about 15.3 percent of their income for retirement benefits" and that "government employees are paying an average of 8.8 percent for retirement benefits." I can speak for myself, that I and all firefighters in Illinois pay 9.455 percent toward our pensions. But your actual contribution to Social Security is 6.20 percent. The 15.3 percent quoted is the combined employee/employer percentage paid to the IRS for Social Security and Medicare.

So please don't tell me I don't contribute enough. The other issue is the fallacy that public employees created this crisis. The employees have always paid their share of the pension; we were never given the option to not pay our portion. The municipalities and the state, on the other hand, were given this chance and most took the chance and now we all are having to pay the price, both figuratively and literally.

I would like to bring everyone's attention to a recent report released by the Illinois Retirement Security Initiative and the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability: http://www.ctbaonline.org/New_Folder/Pension/IRSI%20Press%20Release%20Task%20Force%2011.19.09.pdf If you want an in-depth look at the current situation and how to fix it please visit their Web site.

Unfortunately, there has been a lot of finger pointing and not much real action on this subject. Please get informed and talk to your representatives in the House and Senate.

Jim Flory

Roselle