Is your state next? Teachers, judges, law clerks, emergency rescue responders, infrastructure repair engineers, etc.
How long can they take abuse and cuts that deny decent wages, healthcare and retirement benefits for themselves and their families? How long can people face their families, friends and neighbors as they themselves are ridiculed and scapegoated because of their public service careers? Who wants to look forward to an old age lived in illness and poverty? Why remain in a governmental position being betrayed by their own governmental legislators?
The mass exodus of public employees is already happening in Ohio. HERE.
Well, Illinois pensions are under attack for teachers and other public employees. There will be consequences for the unconstitutional decisions being made by politically motivated and self-serving legislators reciting a mantra of half-truths and lies. By the way, there is no teacher pension crisis in Illinois. There is a revenue crisis that is being rebranded and spun with teachers and teacher retirees as the scapegoats. HERE.
Where else are axes being used against public employee pensions besides Ohio and Illinois? (Click the state.)
The list goes on and on. Google all 50 states for more information.
The situations are not all the same in spite of the propaganda written by the same people who write the legislation rationalizing the legalized raiding of public pensions – ALEC & Friends.
Billions of dollars are being made by the same people who raided private pensions and paid legislators in state after state to repeat the mantra of austerity without using the word austerity. Giving immense tax breaks, incentives, etc. to multinational mega-corporations operating within each state combined with enough tax loopholes for the wealthy to receive $77,000 annual tax credits for each pet horse (as in Mitt Romney’s stables) while other Americans receive a $1,000 annual tax credit for raising each child.
Pensions are deferred earned income. They should be paid. See HERE.
Financial favors for the immensely corporate wealthy are undeserved and unfair. They must end, or America as we know it will end.
Austerity has not worked in Europe and it will not work in the United States. But will we learn too late to prevent the ultimate shortage of public servants that provide essential services to every citizen in this country