10-30-2022; Please, Please Vote Against Amendment 1, the so-called "Workers Rights Amendment"; IL State Chamber WC Seminar This Wednesday--Still Time to Register and much more
/Synopsis: Unless You Like Wildly Higher Taxes and Overpaid IL Government Workers, Please, PLEASE Vote Against Amendment 1, the so-called “Workers’ Rights Amendment.”
Editor’s comment: I assure you the State of Illinois is wildly in debt, to the tune of billions and billions of dollars. Our State government got a one-year reprieve from its financial misery because the Democrats in Washington borrowed trillions of dollars and spread it out among the States in a fashion that allows those States, like Illinois, to falsely claim they had a good financial year.
Right now, I feel confident Illinoisans are paying the highest tax load in the entire country. We have ever-higher income, real estate, sales, estate, gas and other taxes unlike any in the 50 states. Our road tolls were increased four times and by as much as 90% in the decade ending in 2019. On January 1, 2022, truck/trailer toll rates were again increased, supposedly to improve things—no one has any idea what those “improvements” might be.
I am sure the County of Cook and City of Chicago also have gigantic debt and spiraling taxes unlike any other governing bodies of like size.
Why are Illinois taxes skyrocketing?
Well, www.OpenTheBooks.com wants us to consider the Illinois government employee $100,000+ Club. They are sure this “club” is comprised of 132,000+ public employees and retirees who earned a new 'minimum wage' of $100,000 or more. These workers cost Illinois taxpayers $17 billion a year, every year with more raises to come.
They point out while crime skyrockets in your neighborhoods, test scores plummet in our public schools, and inflation decimates private-sector paychecks, the Illinois public “worker” class is living the good life. They found nearly 500 educators in the public schools with salaries between $200,000 and $439,000. In small Illinois towns, city managers made up to $341,300. Three doctors working in Illinois government at the University of Illinois at Chicago earned incomes between $1 million and $2.1 million.
How Are Folks in Illinois Government Wasting Your Tax Money?
I have advised my readers in the past, there are 88 Illinois State Agencies. Many of these agencies are duplicative and there are lots and lots of workers whose jobs are unclear and hard to pinpoint. Hundreds of overpaid jobs could be eliminated if State government would use what are called “computers” to eliminate government waste.
As an example, about a decade ago, the late Judy Baar Topinka confirmed the IL State Treasurer and Comptroller’s offices do exactly the same thing—they are duplicate agencies, performing duplicate work with no value to taxpayers. Judy told everyone this more than ten years ago and nothing has been done to cut the fat.
Feel free to ask yourself, “why is there an Illinois Department of Transportation and an Illinois State Toll Authority?” Don’t they both manage our roads? Couldn’t they be consolidated to eliminate duplication and waste?
Please also note Illinois State government has at least six overlapping police departments, many of them tied to IL State agencies. Does anyone have any idea why there is a “Secretary of State Police Department” and what those sleuths do to justify their existence? Does our IL Commerce Commission need its own do-nothing police department?
So What is this New IL Workers’ Rights Amendment?
In short, it is another hoax being foisted on Illinois taxpayers, this time by government union bosses. Naming it the “Workers’ Rights Amendment” is the first hoax—the law only applies to IL Government Union Workers. As I have outlined above, hundreds of thousands of Illinois government workers make over $100K while working and get hefty fake gov’t pensions after retirement. If you want to know why I call them “fake” gov’t pensions, send a reply and I will expand on that thought.
The two main concepts these government union bosses are seeking is to
Block any chance our State may take the “fake” out of our unquestionably fake and unfundable government pensions. The amendment will prevent the Illinois legislature, governor, city councils, county boards and every other elected official or governing body to create any law or ordinance now or in the future that is designed to reform Illinois’ public pension systems.
The amendment will also permit any public union to negotiate and receive whatever it wants at the bargaining table. This would include police, fire and other public safety employees who are currently unable to walk off their job to do so. The amendment will allow such public safety employees to bargain over the “right” to strike. Additionally, the amendment will prevent the state or local units of government the ability to create any law or ordinance that prevents unlimited giveaways at the bargaining table --- allowing public sector unions to demand and receive an unlimited amount of pay and benefits (with dues going back to the labor unions, of course). If this isn’t clear enough, perhaps think about this way: what current Illinois politician who controls the state’s finances will want to say “no” to the very labor unions supporting them politically? Can you imagine paid maternity and paternity leave for a year or two years or three years for government union workers? If you can’t imagine it, I promise they can and may do so.
In short, this fake and stupidly named “Workers’ Rights Amendment” will insure we are beholden to Illinois government union bosses and our State taxes are unquestionably going to continue to rise, rise and rise again.
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Synopsis: Great WC Seminar this Wednesday—Register ASAP!!
Join us November 2, 2022
3003 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, IL 60532
8:00 am - 3:30 pm | In Person Conference
11:10 am–12:00 pm Workshop #2:
Shawn Biery, John Campbell, and Jim Egan
Keefe Campbell Biery & Assoc.
Working Remotely and Workers Compensation Claims
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce along with attorneys from Keefe, Campbell, Biery & Associates will present a workshop regarding Working Remotely & Workers’ Compensation Claims in the Covid Era. The workshop will provide an overview of some of the pitfalls and strategies with remote workers in this new Era as well as tips for utilizing various combined approaches to investigate claims, deal with subrogation issues, and tools to effectively manage employee expectations as well as determining when and where to implement protocols for claim management. As applicable, we will discuss HIPAA compliance, outside insurance issues, and managing injured workers remotely to effectively move toward closing claims and day-to-day injured worker management. The presentation is conducted in format where the audience is welcome to participate with questions to drive the discussion to areas of specific concern.
Our Speakers
Shawn Biery received his JD from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2001. He was a founding member of Keefe, Campbell, Biery & Associates in 2003 after practicing in employment law and patent law firms prior. Shawn utilizes strategies similar to those he developed while an active duty member of the US Marines conducting desert warfare training. In addition to his work as a courtroom litigator, Shawn is also an adjunct law professor and regular speaker regarding workers’ compensation and employment law issues.
John Campbell received his John Campbell received his JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1999 and co-founded the Keefe, Campbell, Biery & Associates firm in 2003. John’s area of concentration is in workers’ compensation as well as employment and OSHA citation defense. John enjoys teaching as an adjunct professor of workers’ compensation law as well. JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1999 and co-founded the Keefe, Campbell, Biery & Associates firm in 2003. John’s area of concentration is in workers’ compensation as well as employment and OSHA citation defense. John enjoys teaching as an adjunct professor of workers’ compensation law as well. In addition to his work as a courtroom litigator, John is also an adjunct law professor and regular speaker regarding workers’ compensation and employment law issues.
Jim Egan received his JD from John Marshall Law School in 1988. He is a thirty-year practitioner with extensive civil practice throughout the State of Illinois. Formerly managing partner of James F. Egan and Associates, Ltd., Jim was recruited to merge his practice with Keefe & Associates as of January 1, 2004. He has lectured frequently on the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act and is a contributing lecturer for Rosecrance Legal Considerations of Marijuana in the Workplace presentations and podcast.
To register to attend or for any questions, contact Pam Holleman,
at (855) 239-6150 or pholleman@ilchamber.org