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John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute on the state’s inability to enact legislation to curb government spending.
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Remember this video this is the Illinois senator Mike boss.
Expressing from tremendous outrage over the state pension debate.
Why is he so upset while Illinois bases and 83 billion dollar unfunded pension obligations towards public workers.
The legislature went on summer break without making any kind of bill -- now.
That's -- Chicago joins us now.
John you know what I think that's -- my favorite scenes because I think it.
Their past and that express there.
Reflects the past and -- frustration of mainstream still.
Illinois doesn't seem to get it.
It's amazing are really out -- when it comes to solving problems we've seen all over the country in particular in the midwest and obviously what just went on up in Wisconsin -- they validation of the reforms that Governor Walker talked.
Everywhere people are solving problems Democrats Republicans alike except in Illinois and the reason has.
That the state is run by a small group frankly Democrats.
Who control everything and have an entrenched political interest and protecting the public employee -- sector.
Meanwhile the Republicans -- -- Abbas -- Republican they have not put out a material distinguishing brand difference to gain power and have an alternative point of view and that's what you see that frustration.
Yeah but John you know at some point you you know of course you just mentioned Wisconsin and and governor Scott Walker.
At some point these -- -- these people who run the legislature ought obviously have to get it there have to be some sort of a -- or even acknowledgment.
That the public's not gonna take this anymore I mean when we come to that point in your state.
-- we're actually moving that way the polling that we do on a quarterly basis as wells other people towards one point -- shows that the public -- particular.
Independent voters and Democrats are moving -- completely understand the pension crisis.
They understand the source of the pension problem the public employee unions and democratic patrons and frankly -- Republicans -- -- -- to -- -- too much as well and they want reform and they want the -- employees to come to the table and that's -- you do see some movement and particularly rhetorically you see Democrats talking about reform they just have not summon the will yup I think they'll get there at some point.
-- a big roadblock to reforming government worker pensions is the fact that state constitutions.
Have.
Embedded in stone that you can't negotiate.
Government worker pensions -- that's true for the state of Illinois.
Now that's some method that is certainly the position of the public employee unions there is a clause in the Illinois constitution that says you cannot diminish.
Earned two rights but there's a debate among all of us were debating this in Illinois to whether or not that means you can bet you that we believe you must protect what's been earned through -- date specific.
But also many others who said you can reform -- benefits from a date specific going forward that's called respectively.
The unions say that's not true our belief is that we should do that let the courts decide because the only way to solve this problem that -- that overhang is gigantic we have 54 billion dollars.
In unfunded health care benefits that there is no constitutional issue that should be were reformed immediately but we have somewhere north of 83 billion dollars the largest in the country of unfunded pension debt right you can't solve that problem and less -- reform things respectively -- have to go to court.
And that takes political courage which we're still waiting to see.
Well you know what sounds like your state is just seconds away from midnight in the old doomsday clock so.
Good thing it's moving in the right direction and good thing their people out they'll let people like you out there pushing the cause and that's all tallied up but we're gonna come back to you about in the future because this is obviously -- a major story a major event and we want to.
