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CAT Tracks for February 26, 2011
'PENSION CRAZINESS' VISITS CAIRO |
Did a post yesterday titled 'Local' Pension Craziness. KFVS TV Channel 12 picked up on the same story and sent its news team to Cairo to solicit the opinion of Cairo Superintendent of Schools Leotis Swopes.
This photo/video op provided Cairo's Superintendent with a saber-rattling opportunity...the same one we hear every year that it's time to negotiate.
In the story (and the website video), the reporter (video) captures Superintendent Swopes reciting an adage..."if the state doesn't have shoes, we don't have feet."
Personally, I like my adages better. However, I can see where Cairo Superintendent Swopes would prefer his. After watching Superintendent Swopes lie and publicly attack the sponsor of the CHS Beta Club at Thursday night's Cairo BOE Meeting, it is not surprising that he would choose this particularly gruesome adage as he looks forward to cutting Cairo's educators off at the knees...
From the KFVS TV Channel 12...
Link to Original Story (Website has news video clip.)
Lawmakers wants schools to pay more for teacher pensions
By Carly O'Keefe
CAIRO, IL (KFVS) - As Illinois lawmakers try to balance the budget, they're taking a long hard look at the shrinking state employee pension system.
Estimates put the fund that supports state retirees at approximately $82 billion shy of filling its obligation.
A suggestion by Senate President John Cullerton to fix a portion of the shortfall is to have school districts pay more for teacher pensions as the state catches up; but that is something some school districts say they just can't do.
Cairo is among the poorest school districts in the state. In response to state budget cuts last year, the district laid off seven teachers. Monday, it'll discuss laying off as many as 12 more.
"It's kind of a downward spiral," said Cairo Superintendent Leotis Swopes. "Every year it gets a little worse, and worse, you move further down that spiral. We haven't hit bottom yet, but we're doing everything we can to keep our heads above water."
Staying afloat could get tougher if the state asks school districts to pay more for its teacher pensions.
"This is just a light switch, instead of putting it in the state socket, it's going in the school district socket," said Illinois Education Association (IEA) representative Jim Clark. "That's going to create a whole lot of pressure on school districts that are under funded to begin with."
That pressure - Clark says would only lead to one thing: school districts raising funds locally the only way they can.
"Your property taxes are going to go up. There's no two ways about it," Clark said.
But for Cairo, a property tax hike really isn't an option.
Superintendent Swopes says the district already pays its teachers' 10 percent contribution to the state pension system. A state mandate to pay more would likely result in yet another round of layoffs for Cairo Schools.
"We could cut programs, we could cut supplies, we could cut equipment, but nothing will be significant enough until we start cutting personnel and benefits," said Swopes.
And according to Swopes, that would make it really tough to keep educating Cairo's kids.
"It's the old adage if the state doesn't have shoes, we don't have feet," said Swopes.
Senator Cullerton's proposal has not been put into bill form yet, but Senator John O. Jones of Mt. Vernon says it'll likely be discussed as a part of some upcoming pension overhaul legislation.
