House Dist. 59 candidates address public employee pensions

Ideas on how to change public employee pensions were provided by state representative candidates at a forum Sunday afternoon in Vernon Hills.

All five candidates in the House District 59 primary attended the event at the Larry Laschen Community Center. Voters will make their choices Feb. 2, with the winners moving on to the November general election for the two-year seat.

State Rep. Carol Sente of Vernon Hills and Elliott Hartstein are the Democrat Party choices. Running on the primary's Republican side are Dan Sugrue and Mohan Manian, both of Green Oaks, and Cynthia Hebda of Vernon Hills.

League of Women Voters moderator Joan Kaltsas posed submitted written questions to the five candidates. One of the questions asked was what changes are needed in the pension systems for public employees in a financially ailing state.

Manian, 45, a business owner, said he does not favor two-tiered pension programs that would provide reduced benefits to new taxpayer-funded teachers and state employees.

"We can make some changes, like they have to pay more contribution at this time. They have to wait (longer) to get their pension," Manian said.

Sugrue, 46, an attorney, said the public employee pensions are an example of what's wrong with Illinois government. He said there should be two-tiered systems with employee contributions similar to a private-sector 401(k) plan.

"We have teachers unions that contribute huge amounts of money to candidates," said Sugrue. "Those candidates who get elected turn around protecting these same public-sector unions with generous pensions. The only person that gets shafted is the taxpayer."

Hebda, 53, a Vernon Hills village board trustee, said she favors two-tiered pension programs and a cap on maximum benefits.

"I don't believe that after you've worked for so long, you get to raise your level of contributions for the last five years just to support raising your pension benefits," Hebda said. "It doesn't happen in the real world. It shouldn't happen in government."

Hartstein, 61, who is Buffalo Grove's village president, said as the leader of a local government he's seen the financial effects of the state's mandated increases for public employee pensions. He said while there must be a moratorium on pension hikes, care would be needed to not harm workers who don't qualify for Social Security benefits.

"The pension system is broken in Illinois," said Hartstein. "We have to fix it."

Sente, 48, who was appointed to her post last September after Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Ryg resigned, said she has yet to commit to a specific way the pension system should be altered.

"I believe that lawmakers need to deal fairly with government employees and taxpayers and find a solution," Sente said. "Something that is fair and something that is sustainable."

House District 59 covers Lake and Cook counties with portions of Buffalo Grove, Gurnee, Indian Creek, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mettawa, Mundelein, Northbrook, North Chicago, Park City, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills, Waukegan and Wheeling.

Sunday's forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lake County and the Daily Herald.