Amendment to the Constitution needed

I would like to thank Mr. Bachman, executive director of Illinois Retired Teachers Association, for his letter in Fence Post on Dec. 17. He is right when he said that cutting or diminishing benefits is a violation of the Illinois Constitution. I wish he would have written this letter to the Illinois lawmakers so they will know what to do first to fix the pension system. Amending the Illinois Constitution is the first step, but it should include all state employees. Yet no one has taken on this task.

The state of Illinois will in the near future go bankrupt and there is no one, Republican or Democrat, who will start this ball rolling. This so-called Tea Party is for cutting government spending. Then why do they not propose this amendment — oh, because it would hurt their pensions. And while they are at it, how about a 15 percent cut in salaries for these “for the people” politicians.

Edd Jarina

Rolling Meadows