Begin pension reform with lawmakers

As a future annuitant of the state’s pension system, I support efforts to reform, stabilize and sustain it. But why is the media focused on blaming public employees for the problem? As the employer, the state offered them a compensation and benefit package. The employees agreed to it. Did the employees coerce their employers? No. But the legislators, civic committee, and media portray them as the villain.

The root cause of the problem is legislative malpractice. For years, the legislature willingly and consciously deferred its contributions to the pension funds. Now our state politicians are “spinning” it in the media to avoid accountability and redirect voter frustration toward state employees.

Since the Illinois state constitution protects public pensions, any legislation to change them will result in a lawsuit and will need to be ruled upon by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Here’s a solution: This year let’s craft and apply reforms to the state legislators’ pension plan. Then use it as the test case for the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court upholds the reforms then they can be applied to the other pension plans. If the Supreme Court doesn’t, then we’ll know what the constitution allows and we can formulate a legal and sustainable solution.

Perhaps our legislators will show real leadership by being the first group of state employees to step up to pension reform and establish the legal precedence needed to craft and implement sustainable reforms.

Kevin O’Neill

North Aurora