23 July 2013

 

S/C 161 President’s remarks

 

This July meeting was important. Our guest speaker, Mr. Peter Sterzynski, is the field Director of A Better Illinois. He is organizing a state-wide petition campaign . His goal is to collect 200,000 signatures for a public referendum on election day, November, 2014. It will ask the Legislature to insert a question at the top of the ballot. “Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to have a progressive tax instead of the current flat tax?” (Go to http://www.abetterillinois.org/ for more information and an online petition.)

 

Some context to consider. We don’t have a “pension crisis”. We have a structural revenue problem in one of the top ten richest states. Illinois doesn’t have to be broke. It does have to fix a revenue problem it’s ignored for 40 years by changing a revenue base tied to a 1930’s economy of smoke stack industries that have disappeared. Ours is a 21^st century high tech & services economy that is lightly taxed compared with our neighbors. 2/3’s of Illinois corporations don’t pay any taxes. Result: Legislators make up the short fall by cutting services, or by raising revenues with sales tax and a regressive flat income tax. Have you noticed that no government pensioner is immune. If the state hasn’t raise your health insurance premiums in front, it has pushed off a cost it once paid onto the local property tax. You have less and less of your fixed income left after August 1^st’ second installment.

 

For three years, we have been blocking bad law. But as long as the Illinois Legislature fails to act, our pensions will not be secure. We must act.

 

The answer is to build a consensus for a change. Forget morality. In politics, what matters is mathematics. We need 2/3 majorities in both Chambers to get referendum on the ballot. But every senior’s signature carries a double message. We care and we vote. Starting with family and friends, we’ll change the politically possible. We can do what they can’t.

 

When you are feeling discouraged; get mad at those blowhards and Gladgrinds that say we are the problem. Chutzpa is a fitting word for their actions. It’s Yiddish for nerve. It’s what a man has who murdered his parents and then asks the judge for clemency because he’s an orphan.

 

Sincerely,

Charles Hogan, President

 

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23 July 2013

From: S/C 161 President

To: All S/C 161 members

Subject: Nomination & Election of Officers

 

Notice

On 21 August 2013, there will be nominations for 4 officers and 3 Exec Board members. Each will serve 2 year terms.

President

Exec VP

Recording Secretary

Secretary Treasurer

3 Exec Board members

 

Additionally, there will be nominations for 3 Trustees. They will serve 3 year terms.

 

In the case of a contested election for an officer or trustee, there will be an election held on 18 September 2013.

 

This election will be conducted by an election committee.

Nominations: Election:

Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant

5203 Old Orchard Rd., Skokie            5203 Old Orchard Rd, Skokie

 

Any S/C 161 member who has paid dues for the past year will be considered “a member in good standing”. You will be eligible for nomination and election to office.  If you are a city resident and not on the S/C 161 roster, I will work with you to get your status corrected.

 

Sincerely,

Charles Hogan, President