Lawmakers should stop and think

As president of the Arlington Heights District 25 teachers union, I’ve spent a good deal of time trying to educate myself about pension reform. I believe the state’s pension systems do need reform. That being said, this is a big issue that takes a long time to understand and many conversations.

So why is it that speaker Michael Madigan — whose website has this quote on it: “As Speaker, I want every citizen of Illinois to know this is a people’s legislature — we are here to serve the public, openly, honestly and with the highest standards. I am accountable only to you” — is allowed to come up with a bill for pension reform behind closed doors? Then he allows people three days to look at and evaluate it.

Our state ranks 50 out of 50 financially. I believe we should urge our legislators to take the time to evaluate any plan they pass so we don’t end up with this same mess or worse down the road.

Kim Dyer

Arlington Heights