The Push is on!
Monday, 07 November 2011 11:09
Dear Members - The push is on!
Today marks the first day of the last week of the 2011 legislative session in Springfield. At stake is the future of thousands upon thousands of working class families in Illinois.
The General Assembly is poised to act on Senate Bill 512, which would crush the pension plans and dreams of public workers all across Illinois. As of this writing, municipal and county police are not included in the legislation.
So why do we care?
We care because the very fabric of our society is stitched together by the promises we make to each other, be it within our families, among our neighbors or with strangers.
We care because, as police officers, we made a promise to the people we serve. On the day each of us took an oath to serve and protect our communities, we promised the citizens of our communities that we would never, ever let them down.
And we keep our promises.
Forty-one years ago a cluster of very concerned men and women forged a new constitution for Illinois. In their uncommon wisdom, they included language that guarantees the pensions of public workers in our state. Why did they do that?
First and foremost, they did it because it was – and is – the moral imperative of a free and honest society. But just as importantly, they guaranteed pensions for public workers because in 1970 – just as in 2011 – public pensions were underfunded by politicians who sometimes are too near-sighted to see beyond their own re-elections.
That’s right.
There exists a group of fat cat corporate influence peddlers who have paraded around Illinois, proclaiming that public workers are the cause of our economic problems. Why would they do that? Could it be that the investment bankers who drove our national economy over the cliff three years ago won’t be happy until they get their hands on our pensions?
With great pride, the PBPA has stood tall with our brothers and sisters who fight fires, teach, nurse, repair our roads and maintain the information highways of state government. We have been there when these hard-working men and women need support the most.
And we’re keeping our promise, standing by our word. If we fail to support our fellow public employees in their time of need, then we forfeit our right to ask for help when our turn comes around. And make no mistake. If the corporate marauders succeed this time, we are the next target.
Show your support this week by calling and emailing your local state senators and representatives.
The PBPA has earned the reputation as a premier voice in Illinois state government because we have always been true to our word.
We make promises and we keep them.
An awful lot is at stake this week. Let’s make sure we end it knowing that we did all we could to help working men and women maintain their dreams and the future of their families.
Go to WeAreOneIllinois.org or Click their picture to the right to contact your Legislator today!
