The Continuing Crisis

“Get active with your State Rep, your State Senator, the Governor’s office, your Congressman, and the two Senators,” Christopher Kennedy, Chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, told his audience and the University at large recently when he presented “The Research University and Our Future” at the UIC Forum. (Photo by Kathryn Marchetti.)

SOME STATE Senators want to cut our pensions. See CarmiTimes of March 17: http://www.carmitimes.com/state_news/x1777817449/State-Senate-Republicans-spell-out-budget-cut-options.

PRESIDENT HOGAN spoke to the Appropriations Higher Education Committee of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois on April 4: http://www.uillinois.edu/president/speeches/2011/April4.Appropriations.cfm.

PENSION BILLS on hold, but action is expected, in State Legislature. See UIC News of April 6 at http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=15205.

PENSION CHANGES put UIC’s status, future at risk, says former Chancellor. See Chicago Sun-Times of April 10: http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/4693114-452/pension-changes-put-uics-status-future-at-risk.html.

BOARD CHAIR Christopher M. Kennedy speaks at UIC April 14.

One of things Trustee Kennedy encouraged us to do at the Q and A session after his talk was to contact our State elected officials about our pensions and any other issue which is important to us. He indicated that they don't get contacted by large numbers of people, and they will listen if we speak, especially in large numbers. You can find your elected officials at this webpage:

http://www.elections.illinois.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx. Here are the State Representatives:

http://www.ilga.gov/house/; and here are the State Senators:

http://www.ilga.gov/senate/default.asp

DIRECTOR OF the Illinois Retirement Securities Initiative Bukola Bello presents an analysis of State Universities Retirement System (SURS) retirement benefit conditions relative to fiscal problems and State Legislators:

GRIM OUTLOOK for University’s fiscal future. See UIC News, http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=15297