Retired Illinois Judges Raking in Gluttonous Pensions

By on May 29, 2012   /   Commentary, Latest  

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CHICAGO–Retired state and county Illinois judges are enjoying some of the most lavish, gold-plated pensions of all Illinois government-pensioners, according to Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “Even while Springfield political leaders finally are discussing pension reform, judges’ million-dollar pensions are draining their state government-employee pension fund,” said Tobin.
Click here to view the top 100 pensions in the Judges Retirement System (JRS).
Tobias Barry, a retired Appellate Court Judge, tops TUA’s “Top 100” list of judges’ pensions with an annual pension of $186,764, which he supplements with another pension for his days in the Illinois General Assembly. Barry’s total-to-date pension payout is a hefty $1,749,400.
“Even the bottom pension of our Top 100 list is huge,” said Tobin. “Number 100 on the list, Michael Stuttley, receives an annual pension of $156,570.”
Number 2 on the Top 100 list is retired Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Moses Harrison II, who pulls in an annual pension of $182,009. So far, Harrison’s total-to-date pension payout is $1,507,589.
“Many of the retired judges literally are pension-millionaires,” said Tobin. “William Lewis has collected a staggering total-to-date pension payout of $2,014,760. Thomas Obrien has collected a huge total-to-date pension payout of $2,021,134.”
“These former ‘public servants’ make far more than most workers in the private sector and get million-dollar pensions as well.”
“Ending pensions for all new government hires will eventually eliminate unfunded government pensions,” said Tobin. “New government hires should plan for their own retirements by being placed in Social Security and 401(k) plans.”
“Furthermore, if each government employee were required to contribute an additional 10% toward his or her pension, taxpayers would save $150 billion over the next 35 years.”
This release is the fifth in a series. To see the previous four, see below:

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NATO Meeting Costly Ego-Trip For Chicago Pols

By on May 23, 2012   /   Commentary, Latest  

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CHICAGO—Chicago’s hosting of the May NATO meetings was an expensive ego-trip for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his fellow politicians, charged Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“Emanuel and his press flacks claimed that holding the NATO meetings put Chicago in a favorable light in the eyes of the world, and that as a result, Chicago’s reputation as a world-class city will move up a few notches in the list of great world cities,” said Tobin. “He’s got to be kidding. Does he honestly think the world views Chicago as being in the same league as New York, London or Paris?”
“As far as the world is concerned, Chicago is the capitol of flyover country.”
“On Friday and Monday, downtown businesses were ghost towns — the last thing they needed in this recession. LaSalle Street was empty according to reports, major employers asked their employees to stay home, and receipts in shops and restaurants were down sharply.”
“One reason for holding the meetings purportedly was to emerge from under the shadow of the 1968 riots during the Democratic Convention. Businesses paid a high price to cleanse the reputations of Democrat politicians.”
“Emanuel would have done a lot better cutting rather than increasing expenses, and passing the savings on to the overtaxed residents of Chicago.”

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State Troopers & Corrections Officers Quick to Capture Lavish Pensions

By on April 17, 2012   /   Commentary, Illinois, Latest, Pension Reform  

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CHICAGO–A report just published by Taxpayers United of America (TUA) on the “Top 100” pensions of the State Employee Retirement System (SERS) revealed that 84 of the Top 100 are state troopers or corrections officers, and that 28 state troopers retired at age 50 and have pensions over $100,000.
“If you want to pull in a lot of cash and retire early, being a state trooper or corrections officer is a lot more lucrative than being a criminal,” said Jim Tobin, TUA President.

Click here to download the Top 100 SERS pension amounts (PDF).
“Trooper John Lofton gets an annual pension of $134,026 and already has collected $1,077,048 in total pension paid out to date.”
“Trooper Gene Marlin gets an annual pension of $129,268 and already has collected a very hefty $1,402,163 in total pension paid out to date.”
“Leading the pack of the SERS Top 100 is Sadashiv Parwatikar of Human Services, with an annual pension of $184,470 and a total pension paid out to date of $1,464,787.”
“Second place on the Top 100 is Kamal Modir of Human Services, with an annual pension of $166,732 and an astounding total pension paid out to date of $1,981,427.”
“George Welborn of Corrections, who retired at age 55, gets an annual pension of $124,866 and already has collected $1,027,364 in total pension paid out to date.”
“These lavish, gold-plated SERS pensions are clearly unsustainable, and are the reason that SERS is so underfunded.”
“The way to fix the broken pension system is to replace pensions for all new government hires with social security and 401(k)s, and increase current employee contributions. This is the only way to eliminate the unfunded liabilities that plague taxpayers.”
“Finally, voters should kick all Springfield Democrats out of office in 2012. They are the ones who approved the temporary 67% state income tax surcharge, all of which is being pumped into the state pension programs.”
This release is the second in a series. To see the first, click here: Pension Millionaires Draining Lifeblood from TRS Pension Fund.

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