Revolution looming?

So long as people keep their heads in the sand and ignore the serious financial problems in Illinois and the cause of those problems, this State is probably safe from revolution. Maybe it's fortunate for the currently privileged classes that fewer and fewer people are reading newspapers.

The article in this morning's Northwest Herald about Jim Tobin's talk at MCC yesterday ought to cause everyone to march right over to Jack Franks' office (and Sen. Althoff, too) and pound on the door. Careful now; don't pound so hard that you break the glass.

Why? Read the part about the annual pension of of Dr. Tapas Gupta. Dr. Gupta rakes in $402,418/year from the State University Retirement System (SURS). Dr. Tapas ranks #1 as the highest paid retiree. That's over $33,500 every month!

Just how would SURS have to work to reward Dr. Tapas so well? And, of course, Dr. Tapas is merely one of thousands of retirees.

Is Illinois going to have to slice retiree income? Like, maybe, in half? Just how bad is the retirement plan funding crisis? Can the working people of this state afford what the legislators have hooked them into?

I guess it's good that I didn't go to hear Jim Tobin yesterday.