Stop Quinn's 67% State Income Tax Hike

Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn wants to raise your state income taxes up to 67%. He claims this is necessary to fill an $11.5 billion state budget gap. What he doesn’t say is that the state will receive $11.5 billion in federal stimulus funds, which would completely fill the gap.

Download our Stop the Income Tax Hike flyer to learn: what you won’t hear from the governor about the gold-plated pensions for local and state employees and ways you can stop government pensions from bankrupting our state.

Included on page 2 of the flyer is a list of the Illinois Top 100 Government Pension Payouts. Look for yourself to see just how lavish these government pensions are.

Download a printable copy of the flyer and share it with your friends, family, and neighbors.

42 Responses

  1. Kelly Salvato says:

    I am opposed to this increase for Pension of all things. Oh Puhleeze. Have you SEEN what is coming out of the schools within the last ten years? I’ve had Principles asking if I can’t just wait for Winter Break. Had to remind the twit that most of us work all 12 months and don’t get the privilege of all the holidays, institute days and breaks that they do. I’ve had to email the Board of Ed, Principle, Teacher, AND the Village Hall when a teacher refused to teach my son the math he was hired to do. God forbid if he wasn’t able to leave at 3pm on the nose. 15% of his class was failing. 15%!!!! ENOUGH. Give them more to produce this? No way. Work for it like the rest of us.

  2. Benjamin Dover says:

    Remember this line from a Batman movie:

    This Town Needs An Enemma.

    We have all become slaves to the politicians.

    Thank You for working so hard to show the tax payers

  3. Gail Grazian says:

    Saw you on Fox News this morning – I spread the word to call the Governor’s Office to my email distribution list – when I called to check this afternoon – the Governor’s office said they’ve been getting a ton of calls. You need to keep getting the word out – it’s working!!!

  4. chris says:

    Copies in hand, I’m on my way distributing. We’re fed up and we’re not going to take it anymore. We’re running on empty, out of money and are tired of working 6 day 10 hour jobs only to be forced to give back 50% of our disposable income in more taxes above and beyond income taxes by way of sales tax, and everything else. Thanks for your energy, enthusiasm and support of us taxpayers.

  5. Teresa says:

    I am very opposed of this tax hike! Enough of this political B.S. I have no faith of the government or any state/city official. They are just in it for the power and money, not for the people. If there is going to be a protest, I’ll be there with my big sign. All people should get together and shout out, after all, they are working for us, we are thier boss, it’s our money they bill their bills with. What will they do without us? The longer we stay quiet and complain the better for them. Let’s protest!!

  6. Rod Bagovich says:

    Kelly –
    Maybe if parents would spend a bit more time with their children and their homework, and not have the idea that teachers are supposed to make up for the lack of home support for their student you would realize that some of the burden of education comes from the home. Your Principal, remember they are your PAL, can only do so much. Yes, many teachers aren’t committed to the children, but the vast numbers out there are trying to be educator, guidance counselor, juvenile officer and even parent to some of these kids. Education doesn’t only take place in the school. Sit down with you children and read. Have them show you what they have learned, or are working on in school. See what they are having problems understanding and then advocate for your child. Don’t expect a teacher to be a miracle worker. Miracle sometime start at home.

  7. SHELLY says:

    I’M A NURSE,I SERVE THE PUBLIC. I EARN A SALARY AND SAVE FOR MY RETIREMENT. WHEN I RETIRE I MUST DEPEND OF MY NEST EGG,SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE. ANY SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD RECIEVE A SALARY FOR THEIR SERVICES, WHEN THEY CAN NO LONGER SERVE THEY SHOULD DEPEND ON THEIR NEST EGG, SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE JUST AS I WOULD. TAXES SHOULD NOT COVER THEIR RETIREMENT. OUR TAXES PAID THEIR SALARIES WHILE THEY SERVED.THIS IS ONE OF THE REASON GOVERNMENT SPENDING IS SO HUGH THEY CONTINUE TO FEED ON HARD WORKING TAX PAYERS FOR EVERYTHING, WHEN TIMES ARE DESCENT WE DON’T GET ANYTHING BACK AND WHEN THEY ARE HARD THE GOVERNMENT TAKES MORE AWAY. EVERYONE FROM THE NURSE AND SCHOOL TEACHER TO THE PRESIDENT SHOULD INVEST IN THEIR OWN RETIREMENT STARTING THE FIRST DAY THEY HOLD AN OFFICE, POSITION OR APPOINTMENT.IT IS ONLY FAIR IF OUR REPRESENTATIVES TRULY ARE TO REPRESENT WE THE PEOPLE.TAX PAYERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE THE REST OF THEIR LIFE BECAUSE THEY ONCE HELD A PUBLIC POSITION.

  8. MARY BAILEY says:

    It’s passed due for a changes in this state.

  9. Retired Teacher says:

    Kelly Salvato evidently didn’t major in spelling while she was in school either!!
    The correct spelling is PRINCIPAL

  10. Kelley says:

    No taxation without representation. Thats what is says in the constitution. When I begin to think that our state, local and federal governments actually are working for me then I would consider a tax increase. Illinois is 49th out of 50 states in funding education. They need to be run as a business and until they reform and show they can save and manage their budgets and cut like a normal business when times are hard they are entitled to no raise, no contribution to their retirement nor bonus pay. Thats what I will get this year NOTHING. I would also not ever deem it necessary to insult our teachers by grouping them with politicions. I will continue to support our school district locally by pushing for increases that actually will go directly to our schools. We see how well that lottery money the state claimed would go to our schools has helped. For ever dollar provided by the lottery was taken from the school fund on the other end. All government should follow the same rules as the general public NO PENSION. Let them invest their own pay in a retirement fund and count on social sercurity for their retirement. Then maybe they will care about fixing the problems insteat of creating more.

  11. Hate Taxes says:

    To retired Teacher,
    I know what Kelly meant, I am sure you have typed a mistake before. You are pay to be a teacher, the parents work so their money are going to your fricking salary, don’t blame the parents. Why would the parents sit down and read to their kids(I know a lot of parents still do, I did), it’s you that is paid to do it, not the parents. Now if the fricking government will give the choice of where my tax dollars should go, I will gladly sent my kids to private school. At least I can choose some good teachers. I agree that government positions is a burden to all of us. There are some positions that are needed but not all of them. I agree that all government workers should be contributed to a 410K, just like the rest of the citizens.

  12. oana says:

    I am opposed to the tax hike! I agree with Teresa, every time the state is in deficit, the touted solution is to raise the taxes on the hard working citizens. Illinois is one of the states with the highest income taxes in the country and there is not much to show for it; the roads are crumbling, there is more crime in our schools than ever, and people are loosing their jobs right and left. Why can other states function with lower income tax or no tax at all and Illinois cannot find a way to do it without raising taxes once again? When we are being told that there is “no choice but to raise the income tax” I think we should see first a list of all the choices that have been considered before deciding in the name of all the citizens of Illinois that this is the only option.

  13. JH from Chicago says:

    My wife and I would not be considered “lower income” families, but we certainly are hurting QUITE A LOT. In some respects, we are close to just hanging on. This is the most reprehensible thing this state could right now. My wife and I have not had a raise in 3 years; our life savings are nearly wiped out by the economic collapse; we are worried sick about not having enough money to send our only child to college next year. We are struggling to pay off credit card debt. We’ve tried to refinance our mortgage but cannot because property values have dropped so much. This is NOT a way to shore up confidence in Illinois residents to spend. If they really want to help the so-called “lower income” families of Illinois, perhaps lawmakers would do better to devise a creative way to create better paying jobs for them – and NOT rob from the rich and give to the poor. We will be tracking all of the reps’ and senators’ votes on this. As for defending the poor teachers, I will just say there are a lot of lazy and incompetent ones I’ve encountered. And I certainly don’t feel beholding to them for feathering their retirement nests.

  14. Scott Stahl says:

    The tax increase nonsense must stop now. Illinois should be looking at lowering the income tax rate. Simply stated the State of Illinois needs to cut back. Eliminate waste and redundancy at all levels of government.

    Fee increases also need to be shot down. The working poor and below are the ones hardest hit by fee increases. It is the job of the State to make participatory citizenship affordable to all residents.

    Write your representatives and tell them to vote against any legislation raising taxes or fees. The post office could use the money more than the State of Illinois.

  15. Paul Culpeper says:

    We’re being hosed by ALL levels of government. Does anyone know what their school superintendant makes? It’s supposed to be public info, but all you can find out is the salary. What about all the rest of the package? Look into State pensions. The top 100 are all from acedemia. Join a tea party, or start one in McHenry County. http://www.reteaparty.com. http://www.meetup.com/The-Chicago-Tea-Party. “

  16. Paul Culpeper says:

    “If this is really a response to prior fiscal irresponsibility and the current economic crisis, why not put in a three year sunset clause on all tax and fee increases. This would assure the taxpayers that this is temporarily necessary, but would be adressed again as the economoc climate changes. Otherwise, this just looks like typical, opportunistic, Democrat tax and spend legislation. Everyone better join a tea party soon.”

  17. Mark DeAngeles says:

    I am amazed that the non-elected governor is considering raising taxes when we are in such a financial melt down. And he believes that he is doing the right thing. It would be the right thing to do under normal circumstances, and if he were elected to do so. Of course, I can simply go to my employer and insist that I will require 1.5% more pay to cover my personal budget. Well, how is it that our government does not understand this? If there is no income to cover what we want to spend, adjust the budget, not the income.

  18. We are so against the increase in Income Tax, we are already suffering enough, people are living paycheck to paycheck, you know in family budgets (at least the families I have talked with) taking even $10 more away means the difference between bankruptcy and not… groceries or no food….

    Please sign the petition AGAINST the increase…. Senator Gary Dahl as well as Rep. Tom Cross’s offices have been contacted to help present the petition to Gov. Quinn when it has enough signatures.

    Sign petition here:
    http://www.ctunite.com/sign_the_petition.htm

  19. Bob DiPaolo says:

    I am a teacher at a community college and a participant in SURS. I will retire soon, and my pension is a good one. After almost thirty years of service, I will retire with a pension of about $70,000 per year. It’s that high because I have worked every summer and taught additional courses at night to help support my wife and four children. Those extra classes are probably responsible for about 15 to 20% of the above number. I think I have done a good job for my students, and I think I deserve this pension.

    On the other hand, I am a taxpayer like the rest of you. I don’t like high taxes. However, I do think that you should pay as you go. And I think you should honor your commitments. The real reasons for today’s financial dilemma in Illinois is that we either promised people more than we should have, or we have filed to pay the required amounts into the system over time. Our state government has be irresponsible in one or both of the above. Money that should have been set aside for the pension funds was used to pay for other state services. Perhaps the problem is too much spend in other areas. Or, if they were necessary, perhaps our taxes should have been raised modestly a long time ago. In any case, our state government has simply failed to fulfill their responsibilities. To blame teachers, especially those who will be getting reasonable pensions, is a bit unfair.

    I hope that as citizens we continue to fight for good government. It’s not unreasonable to resist unjustified tax hikes. However, I would hope that NTUI would use a more reasoned approach in making it’s arguments to the public. As I read the numbers on the flyer, I was surprised as anyone. I wonder how many represented are college presidents and school superintendents. Since education competes for the same managerial talent as the private sector, it not surprising that many of their salaries might explain the magnitude of their pensions. Perhaps the flyer, in all fairness, would include that information as well.

  20. Myth: Illinoisans can afford the state legislature’s proposed 8 cent per gallon increase on gasoline.

    Truth: The Illinois legislature has proposed an 8 cent tax increase on a gallon of gasoline costing Illinoisans $500 million annually, making the price of gasoline in Illinois the second highest in the country.

    The current state tax per gallon is 19 cents. This rate does not include the 6.25% state sales tax or municipality taxes such as 6 cents per gallon in Cook County and 5 cents per gallon in the City of Chicago.

    This proposed increase paired with the unprecedented federal taxes and fees on oil and natural gas producers would reduce investment in new energy supplies resulting in less energy and actually reduce local, state and federal revenue, and further erode our energy security.

  21. Jon Komodo says:

    So what now?
    There will be no meaningful reform passed. There will be no term limits or any other changes the citizens want as long as we continue to elect the same two parties.
    It is time to stop just complaining about how our elected officials, both Democrat and Republican, have screwed us. It time to do something about it. The Illinois Green Party has promoted real reform for years (ilgp.org). The ILGP recently became an established party and is the only real challenge to the R’s and D’s.

    The only way to get us out of this mess is to take a stand and vote the career politicians out.

  22. Doug E. Doug says:

    Ennema is enema, principle is principal. Evidently some people on this site don’t have the education to take part in education.

  23. Davis says:

    Thank you Shelly, thank you Retired Teacher, thank you Bob DiPaolo!

    I’m no Pat Quinn fan and like anyone else, I don’t want higher taxes but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Let’s request BETTER MANAGEMENT in government – not a forsaking of our responsibility to our public servants.
    Shame on NTIU for pretending this is a simple issue of “gold plated” pensions for ‘worthless’ public servants! Shame on you NTIU, shame!

  24. Earl Cranston says:

    So what?!?! I have earned my pension,you whiners are just jealous.Go get your teaching degree and deal with those obnoxious brats all day for 30 years!!!!!

  25. dan says:

    It’s about time someone showed the crux of the matter. It is the government employees.

    There IS a class system in the US. But, the classes are the private sector employees, the vast majority of workers, and the government workers. The private sector employees essentially work for the government employees. The private sector employees are subject to all the competition and insecurities of a competitive economic system. They can easily lose their job in recession, and they need to really perform in order to keep their job. Their wages increase only if they are working for a company doing well, and they are important to the company.

    Contrast this to government employees, who are almost never fired, get raises regularly, and have no tough management negotiating hard to keep their wages reasonable or subject to competition. The retirement benefits are just another case of the many benefits government employees get, which very few private sector employees can match.

    Here is a joke, but true observation:

    How many sick days does the average government employee take every year?

    Answer: ALL of them!

    Of course, private sector employees wouldn’t dare take sick days if they weren’t sick, ordinarily. If they routinely took every sick day they could, they would risk being downsized in the next company cutback.

    Yep, two classes. The taxpayers support the lavish benefits of government workers. And, the logic would be that government workers should be paid less than private sector employees, as they have a much much greater degree of job security. Less risk, less reward.

    When will Illinois people wake up and up and stop voting for the democrat thugs.

    You really need a strong politician wiling to stand up to the thuggery of the government employees and their unions. The government employees won’t vote for him, but if he truly laid out the truth of this matter, he would have the majority of the private sector employees voting for him, and win in a landslide.

    Think of it, when a new government employee lands a decent government job, essentially, he becomes an instant millionaire or multi-millionaire. All he has to do is hang onto that job until a quite early retirement.

    If you are making $100,000 per year, it would take at least a $2,000,000 investment portfolio to make that income.

  26. Bob Hummel says:

    A great big thanks to your organization for publicizing and creating transparency on the subject of the enormous and unaffordable pensions of Illinois public employees.
    This is unsustainable. If we aren’t careful this state will be in the same position as California…BANKRUPT.

    We serfs need to rise up against the royalty of the state and take it back for our childen’s sake.

  27. JY says:

    I never heard of your group until I listened to your recent radio spot bringing attention the proposed Illinois State Income tax hike.

    I commend all your efforts and hope more people get involved.

    Please just do not point the finger at one culprit and not the others….

    It is long overdue that taxpayers in this state take control. First let’s not forget Mayor Daley… castigating Gov. Quinn when he just sold the public parking meters which raised rates dramatically, or his tax on commercial garbage dumpsters, which affects small business owners and now his plans to put parking meters at the Lakefront… What’s next parking meters on all the sidestreets? Last year, he passed a slew of taxes including a tax of .5 cents on a bottle of water.

    What erks me it we’re in a deep recession when working folks are really hurting. Mark my words… as soon as the economy picks up and with all these new taxes in place, Daley and the 50 alderman will seek and obtain hefty pay raises for themselves. All he thinks about is the Olympics!

    Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is another one. Raises our county taxes to the highest in the nation….

    What’s happening here is that working class people and small businesses will be driven out of the state.

    There are too many alderman, Chicago doesn’t need 50 alderman for 2.7 million people with their bloated budgets and staffs…

    People Wake UP!

  28. Dr. Dave says:

    Seems like a lot of really bad spelling and less than knowledgable posters in here.

    Increase in pensions? Isn’t the real issue that we need to fund the pensions that the employees have already been promised? A deal is a deal and the state has been skimping on that deal for years and years now. We need to catch up on pensions if we are going to be in a position to make good on our promises.

    Anyone know where I can go to find examples of retired teachers drawing $320,000/year pensions? My mother is a retired school teacher downstate. Her pension is a pittance and is so far away from that number that I consider the ad being run on Chicago radio suggesting that teachers draw such pensions as little more than a bald faced lie.

    For those of you that are so opposed to government pensions, is that just because of jealousy that you didn’t have the qualifications to work somewhere where you could qualify for one or what? Pensions are, by far, the best retirement vehicle out there for working people. We should be advocating more pensions in both the private and public sector not less.

    By the way, you pension agnostics should take a look at the sweetheart pensions deals that active military and police officers get. Do you want to do away with those too? Remember, you get the quality you pay for.

  29. roc says:

    These comments are bogus. “Benjamin Dover”?
    What kind of far right think tank is funding this trainwreck…

  30. John says:

    I don’t like a tax increase by no means and Quinn at the bottom of my list for favorite people…buttt…don’t go condemming all retired state employees….I am a retired state employee and know alot of retirees from the state.None of us,(like 95% of retired state employees) wish they got the kind of money you were implying. LAVISH? Try just getting by. I put in 25 years with the Dept of Corrections and I get a big $22,800.00 a year. If you call this LAVISH, something is so wrong. Not alot of state retirees make that kind of retirement you claim,our names are not QUINN,or Maddigan or all those other high payed politicians,so please don’t make it sound like all state retirees have this LAVISH retirement cause with more than the majority of retirees it’s just not true. Please tell the public the whole truth,not just what you want them to hear to enrage them. I’ll bet the ones making the kind of money you claim in retirement is less than 7%.Most state retirees are just getting by including myself.

  31. paddy o says:

    I vote term limits, is there any way to get Superintendents, principals, and government, board of Ed Term limits to put these entitled and non tenured folks back into the real workplace every 2 to 4 years.

    That is all.

    POB

  32. From the Real World says:

    Dr. Dave,

    Why don’t you “working people” use savings as your pension….you know, like us “self-employed” low lifes?

    Pensions are the most il-conceived idea since bridges in deserts. And as far as qualifications, you wouldn’t have a clue how to run a business so you decided to work for one instead.

    Say NO to state tax increases. It is time to take back our country. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! The time is NOW!

    Oh, and as for the Dr. salutation….you’re no better than anyone else posting here….of course, that will be contrary to your ideas.

  33. capt,orey says:

    A very interesting list. Why are certain entries without names – all of them under the teachers retirement system.

    Interesting also: what did they make before retirement, where did they work and for how long. Are they also receiving social security or other pensions – private or public.

    As a business owner I am not even allowed to contribute to a plan that would provide such a comfortable annuity. AND THEY GET IT FOR FREE!!!!!!!!!!

  34. Luisa Benson says:

    I’m a teacher, and I’ve paid 9.4% of my salary into the Teachers’ Retirement System for 20 years, significantly more than social security and other pensions. One thing many people don’t realize is that teachers will never receive the social security we paid into the system working in the private sector. In Illinois teachers need to work 34 years to receive a full pension, and it’s a very good pension. Teachers who work from 8:00-3:00 are few and far between because investing time at home and over breaks make it possible for us to be more effective and efficient in the classroom. As a language arts teacher I bring home student writing every weekend. I read and respond to each piece and read as much young adult literature as I can. If it was such an easy, well-paying job, everyone would be a teacher. I had to pay for both of my masters degrees myself. Though there was no reimbursement, I did move up on the salary schedule. I have been and still am very pleased with my career choice and salary, but I have been and still am working for it. When a distrcit’s salary expenses are published, teacher and adminsitratror salaries are usually grouped together presenting a warped impression to the public of what teachers actually make. There is waste in education, but maybe we ought to take a closer look at the large number of administrators and unnecessary spending rather than attack the teachers working on the front line.

  35. spb says:

    It’s not that I’m opposed to pensions, but please note that pensions are free of Illinois income tax. No wonder the pols want to raise the income tax rather than the sales tax. It doesn’t affect retired pols. Certainly pensions above $50k per year could/should be taxed in Illinois.

  36. Doug Tirzmalis says:

    Now here’s a serious idea worth considering. Why not start a Taxpayers Union? One where we could all go on strike and withhold property taxes and state income tax payments? No really… think about it for just a moment. What are they going to do? Throw 13 Million people in Jail? I am so sick and tired of voting for politicians who promise to lower my taxes only to give in to there own greed and that of the Teachers unions and police/Fire unions. Like they are the only voting block that matters? Are we not still 95%? We need to revolt now. I am paying 62% of my gross salary in taxes already. Take the time to add up all the tax you pay now. Property, income, state, local, sales tax, liquor, cigarettes, cable gas, fuel, electric… and on and on. Its time the people took back the power out of the hands of the current regime. They have proven to be incompetent and greedy without limits. I cannot afford to forego my retirement (at 75-80) because I had to pay for their golden, lavish retirements at 55. I ask every American where their personal retirements would be standing right now if we had back the 10,000.00 we pay YEARLY into THEIR retirements now? Maybe then and only then could I retire at say 70. Its time to fight. Who will lead us???

  37. Doug Tirzmalis says:

    Dr. Dave, it’s not the distant past that troubles me…nor does a near or slightly greater than social security payment bother me. It’s the part time work that teachers provide, for generous pay and a retirement that starts at 52-55. Thats the problem here. In my school district when there is a teaching position open, they get 650 applicants. Now thats an imbalance in the laws of supply and demand. Clearly indicating that pay and benefits far outpace the market.

  38. Marian Stamos says:

    Please hear me out. I have experience both in teaching and the private sector. While teachers do important work (if they do it well!), so do workers in private enterprise. All work is difficult in its own way. Workers in the private sector must work for years before they even can hope for three weeks vacation…and even then that vacation may be postponed due to urgent business. Our jobs aren’t tenured and we can be “let go” anytime without warning. Our promotions and pay raises depend on our performance. They are not based on an automatic pay raise scale. After leaving teaching, I worked in international trade association management. My last position was vice president of the largest division there. I can tell you that what I had to learn to do there and the responsibilities given me far surpassed any expectations of me in the classroom and demanded far more skills. I know! I worked in both worlds! I concede that teachers today must deal with undisciplined children and unreasonable and irresponsible parents…more so than when I taught and it was a challenge even then! But those of us in the private sector must deal with difficult situations and people as well.
    The public school system is a failure. Students are NOT learning even the basic skills not to mention history and civics which is so terribly important in our country today. The blame must be shared by the teachers and their unions, the students and the parents. When I taught school, the idea of a union was just emerging and I knew it would be trouble for the education system. The “cash cow” that has enabled teachers to retire with such plush pensions needs to be killed. It is way over due. Teachers constantly complain about not getting Social Security. I will readily trade my $1500/month check for a teacher’s pension check. My SS check is supplemented by my savings which declined alarmingly this past year. I may not ever recover this money, particularly given who is in power in DC. My husband and I attempt to live on less than $30,000 a year. There is no “cash cow” to save me if I lose it all.
    Teachers have NOT contributed to Social Security, yet taxpayers have to pay their salaries and also contribute to their pensions. That is simply not just.
    Pensions for retired teachers …and ALL GOVERNEMNT WORKERS” … must be published in the media. If so, the public will be appalled and demand it be stopped. All workers should have to pay into Social Security and then be responsible for their personal savings (e.g., 401k)
    So, teachers, stop complaining. I know you like your pensions. The rest of us would like them too…and it would be difficult for me to give it up, if I were in your shoes. But it must be done. There is no magic bottomless bucket full of money in Illinois or anywhere else.
    And, by the way, please don’t insult my intelligence by telling me your pension is “for the children.”

  39. PO S (Retired USCG) says:

    Dr. Dave wrote: “By the way, you pension agnostics should take a look at the sweetheart pensions deals that active military and police officers get.”

    **************************************

    I come from a military family. My father retired after 25 years as a Lt. Col. (US Army). He gets 62.5% of the current base pay for active duty O-5’s, which presently is $7,928.70/mo. For those of you that are math challenged, his pension works out to $4,955.44 per mo. Or $59,465.28 per year. In order to receive such a huge sum, he had to give up much of his freedom. He spent two 13 month periods serving in what were considered war zones. Many times he had to drop what he was doing and deploy to far off places with just a few hours notice. On top of it, there always existed the possibility that he might have to pay the ultimate price.

    I, on the other hand, was an enlisted man. I spent 19½ of my life in service to this country. Of the aforementioned 19½ years, 12½ were in the active components of the US Navy and the US Coast Guard. The remaining 7 years were spent as a Naval Reservist. During my military career, I spent a total of 7½ years aboard various ships. We worked 12 hours on and 12 hours off, 7 days a week, while underway. In port, one 24 hour day out of each 4 or 6 days was a duty day. In addition, you had a regular workday that could be 8 to 14 hours long. As with my father, there always existed the possibility that I might have to give my life in the line of duty.

    When I enlisted, in August 1980, my base pay was a mere $601.30 per month (before taxes). In 1999, when I was medically retired, I was paid $1,844.10 per month.

    Presently, I am rated as 70% disabled. I am 46 years old, and due to my disability, not able to re-enter the workforce. My pension is only $1,488.00 per month.

    Regarding our police officers, they too work long hours and risk losing their lives in the line of duty as well. I do concede that they have better pay and benefits than military personnel receive.

    I do ask the question of Dr. Dave, “Do teachers face the same risks to life and limb? Or the separations from family and friends for such lengths of time? Are the comparisons the same?”

    I have to add one other point. 60% of senior enlisted military personnel are on food stamps, because the military pay is so poor. How many teachers are on food stamps?

    Please do your research prior to pointing your finger at ‘how great the service members have’. In reality, the one’s who really make the military run and who do most of the bleeding and dying are paid a pittance compared to what most civilians receive.

  40. Merry says:

    I cannot believe he wants to increase our taxes claiming it is for “education” I SAY NO!!!! I am not paying for other people’s kids to go to school, I am trying to pay off loans for my own child’s education and you want to take more of my money.

    If this happens, people will leave the state!

  41. Michael Williams says:

    That’s Quinn for you. Always playing the education card. Poor, poor teachers. No cuts to any area of government – can’t do that. Only way to save the state is to raise taxes. I am just about ready to puke!

    If Brady were a little better candidate, and Cohen stayed in his pawn shop, we might not be in this situation. Quinn thinks that a 20k swing in votes means “the people have spoken”, and they want a tax increase. Hey Quinn, B.S.! Why don’t you read through some of the comments on this site. This is what the people want!

    If pensions made any financial sense, we would all have them. They are virtually non-existent in the private sector. We are tired of being soaked by government employees with these ridiculous benefits. Time to live in the real world. If this tax increase passes, please everyone remember this at the next election time. Things MUST AND WILL CHANGE!

  42. Victor Hinojosa says:

    I don’t have much to say any more about the tax increase because Congress just signed it into law. This state is becoming more expensive by the year and the state has nothing to show for it. I live in Cook County and we have the nation’s highest sales tax. Why? Not even New York does, it just pisses me off, on what kind of job the capital is doing. I ahve barely enough money for expenses, now the state wants to take more. Because of this, I’m actually contemplating about moving to a different state, I won’t miss nothing about IL.

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