See previous post: http://blnnews.com/2012/09/12/surprise-amendment-49-in-the-nov-ballot/

The amend is being promoted as:

The Illinois Public Pension Amendment will appear on the November 6, 2012 ballot in Illinois as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment. If passed, the measure would require a three-fifths approval by the General Assembly, city councils, and school districts that wish to increase the pension benefits of their employees. The measure is sponsored by Representative Michael Madigan.^[1]

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Illinois_Public_Pension_Amendment,_HJRCA_49_%282012%29

The problems are:

• if Mike Madigan wanted to require a 3/5 vote to increase pension benefits, why did it take 700 words?
• this amendment centralizes power in Springfield and takes it away from local governments and local voters
• it overrules and destroys the Illinois Constitutional protection against eliminating or reducing earned benefits – UNIONS: read that one again!
• Mike Madigan and John Cullerton want it

How does it over-rule Constitutional protection?  With 2 words added at the last minute to the last sentence:  beneficial determination.  This amendment overrules the “non-impairment provision” currently in the Constitution to safeguard benefits.

The current pension system is not sustainable, but handing power to make changes to Mike Madigan should be unacceptable to all citizens in Illinois.