Dear __________________:
I am writing you to ask you to please support
Senate Bill 2404, which is being considered by the Illinois State
Legislature. Please do not support
Speaker of House Michael Madigan’s
pension bill. Speaker Madigan’s
bill will hurt my family.
I am a retired teacher. I will not get Social Security
benefits because of my years paying into the Teachers Retirement System rather
than paying into Social Security.
Therefore, freezing my cost of living
adjustments is freezing my income. If Speaker Madigan’s bill passes and is signed by the
governor, I will be forced to find full-time work in order to maintain
our home and family.
The Illinois Constitution guarantees pension
benefits for retired teachers, stating that these benefits “cannot be
diminished.” By voting for Speaker
Madigan’s bill, you are violating your oath of office to uphold the Illinois
State Constitution.
Think of the widowed retired teachers in
downstate Illinois who are living on a pension of less than $25,000 per
year. These retired teachers are
close to the poverty level, and since CIGNA, the state insurance is not paying
its vendors on time because the state is broke, these widows are even more
strapped for money.
Every time the Chicago Tribune runs a pension story, a rich, retired administrator
from the Chicago suburbs is singled out.
The fact is that in places like Serena, Knoxville, and Morrisonville,
retired teachers are living from hand-to-mouth. You must consider the plight of these female, retired
teachers and not listen to the Tribune,
which is a shill for the Civic Federation. The Civic Federation is not concerned with “fixing” the
pension problem; its members are rich billionaires who only want to continue
the corporate tax breaks that the State of Illinois is giving their companies.
A widowed teacher in Alexis, Illinois living on
a pension of $19,000 per year will be hurt considerably by Speaker Madigan’s
bill should it become law. I hope
that you will vote yes when SB 2404 reaches your chamber.
Thanks for considering my request.
[Your Name]
