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ROBBING STATE WORKERS I am a normal Illinois state government worker. I didn’t get my job because I knew someone. I got my job because I took a test, got an A, went to an interview and the person interviewing me saw something in me they didn’t see in the other applicants. I did give up pay increases to save the state money when they were in crisis with the promise the state would put a small share of the money they saved into the Illinois State Pension Fund.
Our state legislators stole that money and used it most likely to appease the people who funded them into office. They stole this money.....why are they not in jail?
Somewhere along the line a past governor decided to put on a state hiring freeze. State workers retired and no one was hired to replace them. This put an even bigger burden on the normal Illinois state government employee because they were now required to pick up the slack for retired workers. Now after 33 plus years on the job and the expected ability to retire with barely 50 percent of my salary in a couple of years, they want to force me to work until I’m 67 (for a total of 49 years),
pay extra to cover the money they stole from the pension fund, reduce the amount of money I receive when I retire (which is against the Illinois Constitution), and start paying more for health insurance.
People of Illinois, please don’t be fooled. This is not a new “ethical” state government at work. Robbing more money from the people who have already been robbed is not ethical. Don’t make the rest of us do the time, we didn’t do the crime. Derek S. Lindsey Springfield
CLOSE WAREHOUSES Supporters of institutional living are using scare tactics in a desperate attempt to sway public opinion against Gov. Quinn’s brilliant plan to close state institutions. They are talking about people losing their jobs, residents being turned away with nowhere to go and families being separated. Don’t be fooled.
My interest is for the residents of the Jacksonville Developmental Center. The Arc of Illinois is standing by these families to make sure they have a meaningful and successful transition into community living. No one will be “evicted.” In fact, we have been working with the Illinois Department of Human Services on a comprehensive transition plan that will ensure a personcentered planning approach.
Each person will receive an evaluation and ultimately be moved into a community setting that is personalized to empower people with disabilities to live an independent, safe and happy life, whether it’s living alone or with a small group, 24-hour care or a more independent lifestyle. They enjoy going to church, going out for ice cream and spending time with family and friends. Each plan is customized according to their individual needs.
While the history of Jacksonville Developmental Center is fascinating, that is not a good reason to keep people with disabilities warehoused and existing within an antiquated system. The days of segregating people with disabilities are long gone and to suggest that they should remain institutionalized and not be given the opportunity to thrive in a community setting is insulting. We work with countless families, some whose loved ones have been labeled with the most severe disabilities, who have moved from an institution to a community home and flourished. People with disabilities want and deserve the same opportunities we all do. It’s time to stop selling them short and disregarding their potential. It’s time to get real about the amazing opportunities and dreams that are attainable by living in a community. Tony Paulauski, executive director The Arc of Illinois Frankfort
