The April 22 Tribune editorial “The funny money season” was misrepresenting and unfair in portraying our state legislators as uncontrolled money-spenders.
Our legislature has not increased state income taxes for many years. It purposely avoided a more equitable school reform bill by endorsing a cost-conscious bill that focused on revenues such as gambling and cigarettes. Its suburban tax-cap policy restricted taxes, and now some school districts are even levy-ing taxes beneath the tax cap.
The statement that a teacher who earns $60,000 and retires with 10 years of experience will have a 30 percent retirement increase shows the author’s intent to mislead. How many districts actually pay $60,000 for teachers with only 10 years of experience? To receive a pension after 10 years, a teacher has to be at least 60 years of age. How many teachers are retiring under these two conditions? In the 14 states that do have independent retirement programs, Illinois is last in teacher pension payments for teachers who have taught more than 20 years. It also takes the longest–38 years–to reach full payment.
The article cites a large cost to fund the proposed retirement program but conveniently figures the costs over 47 years. How many of us won’t have excessive costs over a 47-year period? Purchasing a Tribune every day over 47 years would cost thousands of dollars. The editorial also does not emphasize how a teacher’s personal cost to buy into the program will be very substantial. The editorial also fails to mention the advantage districts will have when they hire younger teachers at cheaper costs as they replace retiring teachers.
On April 21 you ran a Page 1 story on how Americans are interested in supporting education. Is the Tribune?
