Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn Wants Citizens to Do … Something? … About State Pension Crisis
Videos! Social Media! People like that stuff, right?
Of all the screwed over state pension funds in the U.S., Illinois is widely argued to be the most screwed over. Its current unfunded liability is $95 billion. It has the highest percentage of its pensions unfunded in the nation – more than half of it (or up to 70 percent based on some calculations).
Clearly, something must be done. Gov. Pat Quinn agrees. So he's put together a website to encourage citizens to get involved and demand something be done. But nothing in particular. Something.
They even filmed a video describing the history of Illinois pension fund (and the history of pensions in general). They manage to describe the urgency of the problem without presenting anything resembling any sort of solution. But he an actor does try his level best to act terrified of Kaa from The Jungle Book, moonlighting as a symbol of the "pension squeeze" being put on the state's budget:
The site encourages citizens to get involved in this nebulous something:
You bring some attitude…we'll bring some volume! Let the Springfield politicians know that you get it and it can't wait. If you speak up now by posting on Facebook , tweeting, emailing, etc – we'll make sure Springfield hears it…in your own words! Stay tuned for the details…
HINT: you'll be able to see and hear your messages shared with the legislators in Springfield via pictures and video (think web cam!) on the Facebook page. …
Join the dialogue at one of our Online Town Hall Meetings. The town hall meeting is a time-honored tool of direct democracy. Dating back to New England in the 1630s, the town hall meeting was a forum where every voice could be heard…and every public official had to sit there and listen!
This dusty institution is given new life via the Internet. "This is My Illinois" will host a series of "Online Town Hall Meetings" focusing on the Illinois Pension Crisis. Here's your chance to understand the problem, and how it will affect you and future generations. It's a chance to share your ideas on how to solve the SQUEEZE. It's your chance to speak directly to those who will work to fix it.
Yeah, get to work, citizens! Let those politicians know you've got an attitude about all this! You have very strong feelings about the pension squeeze. They should fix it right now! Somehow! With something!
Corrected because that wasn't Gov. Quinn in the video.
