{"id":34184,"date":"2016-03-02T14:31:41","date_gmt":"2016-03-02T20:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=34184"},"modified":"2016-03-02T16:15:44","modified_gmt":"2016-03-02T22:15:44","slug":"as-states-finances-sink-anti-tax-group-lets-barbs-blame-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/as-states-finances-sink-anti-tax-group-lets-barbs-blame-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"As state’s finances sink, anti-tax group lets barbs, blame fly"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Thomas Vogel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taxpayers United of America President Jim Tobin called Wednesday for Illinois taxpayers to oust Speaker of the House Michael Madigan in the upcoming March primary.<\/p>\n

As lawmakers continue to grapple with the state\u2019s pension system, which currently has more than $100 million in underfunded obligations, the TUA released its annual analysis of the Illinois\u2019 Teachers\u2019 Retirement System, tabulating the top 200 pension for former state teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the biggest problem we have in this state,\u201d Tobin said, referring to Madigan. \u201cHe\u2019s the biggest single enemy of Illinois taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Madigan, along with the Democratic supermajority in Springfield, and Gov. Bruce Rauner, who Tobin supports, continue to spar over the state\u2019s financial situation.<\/p>\n

Madigan has represented the 22nd District on Chicago\u2019s South Side for 45 years but faces an up-start primary challenger, Jason Gonzalez, 41, a Harvard-educated, first-time candidate. Although the TUA does support candidates, the organization has not endorsed Gonzalez.<\/p>\n

Tobin said taxpayer anger has existed for sometime, but incumbents like Madigan have remained in office because no viable opposition has emerged. Tobin said he hopes Gonzalez can finally unseat Madigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoss Madigan has had the Illinois taxpayers in his death grip for far too long,\u201d Tobin said. \u201cThere\u2019s no accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tobin has his own critics, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr.Tobin\u2019s opinions of TRS and other state government agencies have been consistently incorrect for at least 30 years,\u201d David Urbanek, spokesman for the Teachers\u2019 Retirement System wrote in an email. \u201cHis criticisms are false and without merit.\u201d<\/p>\n

TUA has compiled the annual list for the last decade. Tobin criticized teachers for collecting substantial pension payments and called for Illinois to adopt similar reforms as other states, including Arizona and Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

The highest-compensated teacher on the 2016 list is Lawrence Wyllie, a 56-year veteran of Lincoln Way Community High School in New Lennox. Wyllie\u2019s annual pension is about $312,000.<\/p>\n

The average annual compensation for the top 10 teachers on the list is $289,900.<\/p>\n

The Illinois primary is set for March 15, 2016.<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Jim Tobin, TUA’s founder and president, speaks at a Wednesday press conference announcing the TUA’s annual pension report. (Thomas Vogel\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Thomas Vogel Taxpayers United of America President Jim Tobin called Wednesday for Illinois taxpayers to oust Speaker of the House Michael Madigan in the upcoming March primary. As lawmakers continue to grapple with the state\u2019s pension system, which currently has more than $100 million in underfunded obligations, the TUA released its annual analysis of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":221,"featured_media":34196,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,30,585],"tags":[1937,1940,1935,1938,1936,873,1939],"class_list":["post-34184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-interest","category-public-affairs","category-winter-2016","tag-illinois-teachers","tag-jason-gonzalez","tag-jim-tobin","tag-march-primary","tag-michael-madigan","tag-pension","tag-taxpayers"],"yoast_head":"\nAs state's finances sink, anti-tax group lets barbs, blame fly - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/as-states-finances-sink-anti-tax-group-lets-barbs-blame-fly\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"As state's finances sink, anti-tax group lets barbs, blame fly - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Thomas Vogel Taxpayers United of America President Jim Tobin called Wednesday for Illinois taxpayers to oust Speaker of the House Michael Madigan in the upcoming March primary. 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