Biss to Host Pension Forum Tonight

Among the many hotly debated topics in Springfield, legislators will attempt to reach consensus on pension reform tomorrow at a special session scheduled by Gov. Quinn.  Tonight, Rep. Biss will hold a public forum to discuss the issues. Titled "The Long Road to Pension Reform: What is 'Cost Shift' and Why Does it Matter?", the community dialogue is the most recent in a series of public forums hosted by Biss and is open to all.  The forum was originally scheduled at Wagner Farm but to accommodate mass interest from the community, the event will now be held at Temple Beth Israel in Skokie, 3601 W. Dempster.  Guest speakers include Erika Lindley, the Executive Director of ED-RED; Dick Ingram, the Executive Director of the Teachers’ Retirement System; and Louis Kosiba, Executive Director of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. In Glenview, pension reform was on the minds of readers when recently retired D34 announced he was leaving Glenview for a position in West Bloomfield, Mich. As part of the current system, Hill will collect his full pension from Illinois while continuing to earn a salary in Michigan. Changes in pension reform legislation could mean more dollars paid out of tax payer pockets to cover pension costs for educators like Hill.  According to the Tenth Dems website, participants can expect an "informative and lively discussion." Will you attend the forum? If you could participate in Friday's Illinois General Assembly discussion on the topic, what would you share with legislators? Share with us in the comments or sound off on Facebook!