By: Diane Benjamin
Luckily IMRF actually cares about transparency. Yesterday I filed a request for all the Accelerated Payments charged to the City of Bloomington because they are to chicken to change the Sick Leave Buy Back policy. Instead of the precious government employees being told the golden goose got cooked, employees are told it’s just fine to spike your pension! They already earn you more than the private sector, get better benefits, a wonderful pension – but they can steal more from the taxpayers for a SWEET retirement! They worked hard all those years, not like those icky citizens paying all the bills.
If government workers want respect:
Start respecting the people paying you!
Rant over, but you will want to join in when you see what IMRF gave me. You owe more than I reported yesterday:
$122,735.32 paid – but another $66,232.57 is still owed.
Tari Renner, David Hales, and the City Council have proven they don’t care about taxpayers.
It may be tough to take this ridiculous perk away, but your rulers prefer to have happy employees.
Of course, the media will ignore this abuse too. I’m sure they have been instructed to ignore facts.
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Powell: Fire Inspector
McDannald: Heavy Equipment Operator
Walsh: Solid Waste Truck Driver
Cummings: Director Water
The City has known about this problem since the law changed in 2012. Union contracts should have been changed. Non union employees should have been told the PARTY IS OVER! Neither has happened.
Raising taxes is so much easier.
.
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I’m probably sure this is just the tip of the iceberg of what is coming as more retire.
This is an issue that the private sector employer would have dealt with swiftly to get rid of it. I don’t know of any private employer allowing this practice. If they did they would be close to being bankrupt.
Don’t look for David Hales to move on this anytime soon as slow as he is. I’m sure he would have to get at least 11 consultants to advise and depending on what the majority ruled on go with that recommendation.
This isn’t a payment that they can delay…..pay up now. They probably wish they could but I think didn’t they blow that chance or shall I say David Hales did.
Hales did drop the ball on this when IMRF sent notification about the change in their policy. After the Chicago Tribune’s report about Bloomington being the worst offender for Sick Leave Buy Back, by his own admission, Hales missed the deadline to make modifications for the City. After the Emily Bell episode the Council, under the advice and direction of Jurgens and Hales, voted to wait to see the results of a lawsuit filed by state employees. The topic will not be put back on the agenda unless the Mayor or Hales want it to be.
The pay-out for the spiked retirement can’t be determined in advance–therefore not budgeted–so the money is taken from the Reserve Fund.
A list should be made of all the times Hales has failed to abide by or enforce City policies or ordinances.
It’s a no brainer as if they change it, won’t Hales lose out on (his) golden parachute as well? Nuff said there. It ain’t gonna happen.
I think a min number of years is required. Hales doesn’t qualify. 15 sounds familiar, but I’d have to look it up
I’m a big believer in good old fashioned shaming and shunning. We know exactly who these retirees are that have raped the taxpayers. When we interact with them, let’s let them know WE KNOW. Some of them have to still be around, they can’t all have moved to Texas, laughing all the way at what idiots we are.
I know it sounds like a good idea, but these people have no shame.
Somewhere, in a parallel universe, the citizens of Bloomington just burned City Hall down to the ground and sent a tarred and feathered David Hales out of town on a rail….
…in a parallel universe , that is.
This guy is making Hamilton look like a freakin’ genius!