Amend constitution to fix pensions

We are constantly reminded by the public service unions and workers that their pension rights are protected by the Illinois state constitution, rewritten and approved back in the early 1970s. This same Constitution rewrite also established the state income tax. Our tax-hungry politicos want to establish a graduated income tax but are lamenting that it is prohibited by the constitution. Their solution is to pass an amendment to allow the graduated tax.

Note: Some of this new tax money will be used to bail out the pension system.

There has never been the slightest hint of amending the pension part of the constitution to solve the pension crisis. Of course not; sock it to the taxpayer. My suggestion is to amend the constitution to resolve the crisis and leave the taxpayers alone for a change. Reduce the size of all public pensions and COLAs to be more in line with our meager Social Security “pension system.”

Ken Kitzing

Mount Prospect