Pension shift a Springfield shell game

On Jan. 30, the Daily Herald reported that Governor Quinn, House Speaker Madigan and Senate President Cullerton now want schools and universities to help pay for their employees’ pension costs. A year ago, these same elected officials passed legislation to increase our individual income taxes by 67 percent.

Gov. Quinn’s new scheme to have schools and universities help pay for employees’ pensions is a Springfield shell game to switch pension costs to the schools and universities and ultimately to our local property tax bills at the local school level and to increased tuition at the university level but keep the increased income tax revenue in Springfield.

Local property taxes for schools are already too high and universities and colleges have already raised tuition because the millions of dollars owed to them by the State remain unpaid.

I urge every voter to write their local state representative and senator and let them know your thoughts on the scheme to increase your property taxes.

Howard Snyder

Wheaton