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Group crunches pension numbers By DAVID THOMAS
dthomas@daily-chronicle.com
DeKALB – Jim Tobin says the state’s pension system will collapse unless it switches from a definedbenefit system to a defined-contribution, 401(k)-type system, similar to what many private-sector workers have. The president of Taxpayers Unit-
ed of America, who spoke Wednesday in DeKalb, said the current pension system was helping to make a number of DeKalb County retirees into multimillionaires. A 2011 investigation by the Daily Chronicle showed 101 people who had retired since 2000 and worked at a public agency in DeKalb County collected six-figure pensions annually.
“Illinois’ government bureaucrats have been feeding off taxpayers in DeKalb and all across the state for the last 30 years, receiving gold-plated pension benefits in return for the votes they give politicians,” Tobin said. Several proposals have been made to address the shortfall in the state pension system, but state legislators have yet to make sweeping changes.
Ideas have included shifting the burden of teachers’ pensions from the state to local school districts, as is the case for Chicago Public Schools. Reducing the amount of pension payouts to which an annual cost-ofliving adjustment applies has been proposed, along with increasing the retirement age for workers and increasing the amount employees must contribute to the pension system.
BAD WeATHer gueSSIng gAMe
SaLTed away
Kyle Bursaw – kbursaw@shawmedia.com
Mark Pumpfrey, a crew leader and technician with DeKalb’s streets department, uses a front-end loader to push approximately 25 tons of salt, the first truckload in a 350ton delivery, into a storage area. Mark espy, assistant director of DeKalb Public Works, said it was the first salt order he’s placed this winter after using about 350 tons of salt last weekend on the ice and snow.
Local departments have road salt piling up because of mild winters By JeFF engeLHArDT
jengelhardt@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Salt domes throughout DeKalb County are overflowing after a mild 2012 and only minor icing in 2013. While the county and many municipalities and townships had hundreds of tons of salt left from the 2012 winter, officials still ordered tens of thousands of dollars worth of salt to
take advantage of lower prices and build stockpiles. DeKalb County Engineer Nathan Schwartz said road officials need to play somewhat of a guessing game when it comes to ordering salt because contract orders are due by March before the next winter. Once contracts are submitted, the purchaser must take at least 80 percent of what was ordered.
The county, with salt bins already at capacity, must accept at least 6,400 tons of salt this year from its $475,000 order of 8,000 tons. Schwartz said he expects to use enough salt and sell enough to townships to avoid overfilling the domes, but he might need to tarp excess salt outside. Schwartz said the county has used about 450 tons of salt this winter, mostly to combat icy conditions
Jan. 13 and 14. “We ordered an amount of salt knowing we had our bins totally full,” he said. “Because each year we can anticipate that salt prices are not going to get cheaper.” Some municipalities are using more salt than normal because of the excess on hand.
See SALT, page A5
MLK celebration planned at DeKalb church Voice your opinion
By DAVID THOMAS
dthomas@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Community members are invited to honor civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martin Luther King Jr. in the place he first shined: church. King was the third man in his family to serve as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, according to his biography on the Nobel Prize’s website, www.nobelprize.org. His grandfather served from 1914 to 1931, then his father served and King was co-pastor from 1960 until his assassination in April 1968. Several congregations will reflect on King’s legacy today with the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration. The service starts at 7 p.m. at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 1201 Twombly Road, DeKalb. The theme is “The Beloved Com-
What is your opinion of the state of civil rights in America? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com. munity: Faces That Inspire – Martin Luther King Jr., John Perkins and Clarence Jordan,” said co-organizer Beth Campen. The beloved community was a term King and others used to describe a nonviolent society that would not tolerate poverty, hunger or homelessness, according to The King Center’s website, www.thekingcenter.org. “All three men are very committed to the beloved community,” Campen said. “They wanted to get Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com out into the community, not to conCommunity choir member Donovan Hudson, 7, sings Saturday during practice at new demn it, but redeem it.”
Hope Missionary Baptist Church in DeKalb. The group will perform during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration today at the church.
See MLK, page A5
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However, any changes that effect those already receiving benefits likely will be challenged in court. Not everyone agrees with Tobin’s portrayal of retirees. Cathy Hill, president of the DeKalb County Retired Teachers Association, said it’s a disservice to assume every teacher receives a lucrative pension payout.
See PenSIOnS, page A4
Dems still eyeing loans to pay down $9B in bills The ASSOCIATeD PreSS
SPRINGFIELD – Despite repeated failures, Democrats again are considering a multibillion-dollar loan to pay down the state’s backlog of past-due bills, now hovering at a near-record $9 billion. Republicans, led by State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, continue to resist the short-term loan idea as a way for Illinois to pay down stacks of invoices overdue by as much as four months to businesses, charities and local governments performing some of the state’s most essential services. But an influential Senate Democrat, John Sullivan, is working on a borrowing proposal to reintroduce in this spring’s legislative Judy Baar session. A House Topinka on budget leader, Rep. F r a n k M a u t i n o , reducing the said a loan would overdue bills mean “tremendous” for the state savings and should of Illinois: “It be part of upcom- all depends ing budget negotia- on solving the tions with Gov. Pat pension situation because Quinn. The first big ob- that eats up stacle, however, is 20 percent of one matter that ev- our budget eryone agrees on: and counting,” The borrowing idea Topinka said won’t be considered in an interview until lawmakers with The come up with a solu- Associated tion to an even big- Press. “We do ger problem – the have to solve state’s $96 billion that problem pension deficit. Atbecause all tempts to solve that other issues crisis broke down earlier this month, rest upon that meaning the issue solution.” could remain on center stage through the legislative session that ends May 31. “It all depends on solving the pension situation because that eats up 20 percent of our budget and counting,” Topinka said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We do have to solve that problem because all other issues rest upon that solution.” Meanwhile, with the continuing inaction in Springfield, frustrated community service providers are struggling to keep going. And some accuse the state of using the pension problem as an excuse to delay payments. “Last year, it was Medicaid. Now it’s pensions. What’s it going to be next year?” said Judith Gethner, executive director of Illinois Partners for Human Services, a statewide advocacy group of human-services providers.
See DeMS, page A5
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