Amendment 49

Information and Reasons to Vote NO on the 'PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ADD SECTION 5.1 TO ARTICLE XIII OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION'!
10/30/12

The following nine letters and editorials do a good job of explaining the PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ADD SECTION 5.1 TO ARTICLE XIII OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION (formerly known as Amendment 49) and the reasons that it will be a disaster to our pensions. PLEASE pass this information on to your family, friends, relatives and anyone who you know that receives a pension from ANY of the public pension systems.

This amendment requires that any increase in your pension must pass the LOCAL CITY COUNCIL with a 3/5 majority. REMEMBER this amendment OVERRIDES the referenced sections of the current Illinois Constitution and leaves the door open for a DECREASE in your pension by a simple majority vote of that same City Council. See a sample ballot and read the entire amendment here.
(Click on letters to enlarge)

The page to the right is from the latest RTAC News Bulletin and is one explanation of why everyone needs to vote NO on the PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ADD SECTION 5.1 TO ARTICLE XIII OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION (formerly known as Amendment 49). In particular the two words, 'beneficial determination', in the highlighted box, imply that the LOCAL CITY COUNCIL must determine any changes in your benefits. (Click on letter to enlarge)

The letter on the left is written by Nancy J. Cohen, a retiree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and published in the Chicago Tribune's 'Voice of the People' on 10/10/2012. It has a better explanation of the inequitable voting that the PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ADD SECTION 5.1 TO ARTICLE XIII OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION (formerly known as Amendment 49) will allow. For instance - it will take a 3/5 majority to increase a pension but a simple majority to decrease a pension. (Click on letter to enlarge)

This two part letter (on the right) was sent out to all RTAC members by the RTAC President and Executive Director. The first part gives additional logic, reasoning and warnings about the PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ADD SECTION 5.1 TO ARTICLE XIII OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION (formerly known as Amendment 49) and why everyone needs to vote NO. The second part encourages everyone to write the local media and legislators and demand that the State of Illinois live up to its obligation to fully fund our pensions by providing the necessary funds along with NOT allowing the Chicago Public Schools to take any more "Pension Holidays". Past 'holidays' have cost the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund Billions and led to the funding ratio falling from over 100% to today's ratio of less than 60%. (Click on letter to enlarge)

The document to the left is a combination of opinions from the RTAC Board of Directors and information provided by our lobbyists relative to the PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ADD SECTION 5.1 TO ARTICLE XIII OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION (formerly known as Amendment 49). (Click on letter to enlarge)

Chicago Gazette editorial with reasons to vote against the proposed Constitutional Amendment. (Click on Editorial to enlarge)

Chicago Gazette article with additional reasons to vote NO and a sumary of the legislative voting on the proposed Constitutional Amendment. (Click on article to enlarge)

Time is running out to tell reiterate to our legislators that OUR payments into the pension fund have been consistent and reliable as opposed to the 'mandated' contributions from the Board of Education and the State of Illinois. Read this letter by James Ward, RTAC's secretary and past President of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund. (Click on letter to enlarge)

Read the Chicago Tribune Editorial on the left that was published on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 opposing the proposed amendment. (Click on editorial to enlarge)

Read the Chicago Sun Times Editorial on the right that was published on Thursday, October 25, 2012 opposing the proposed amendment. (Click on editorial to enlarge)