But it’s not as if they stole the money. It went for worthwhile goals, like keeping school funding at a reasonable level and providing health care for the poor and shelters for battered women. Gov. James Thompson invested in state parks and natural resources. While disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was slighting the pensions, Illinois became a national leader in support for early childhood education.

Programs and services receiving the funds have been popular, or seen as vital to “vulnerable” constituencies. Funding them could be politically beneficial. But voters tune out talk about the need for public pensions.

Decades of tax-pandering contributed to the problem. Illinois policymakers maintained the nation’s least viable general revenue stream while pretending to be at least adequate providers of basic public services. Yes, pensions became their “credit card.” What happens now? Whether or not SB 512 (or anything like it) passes this fall, pension payments will consume a lion’s share of state resources for decades. At $86 billion of unfunded liability, the pain is too great to shift to public employees – and it would be irresponsible to do that anyway. No, the sins of elected officials in the past will be paid for mainly by taxpayers in general and other innocent parties.

How long will that take? Since the recent income tax increase – raising Illinois’ rates from lowest in the nation to about fifth-lowest – shrinks in 2015 and nearly disappears in 2024, it will take until the current target year of 2045 at least. If the voters get a yen for something expensive, it will take longer.

So, Socrates, what do you think?

Jim Broadway of Springfield is publisher of Illinois School Policy Updates, available by subscription at schoolnewsservice.com. He came to Springfield in 1981 as Capitol bureau chief for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.