EIU Annuitants Association

Spring 2019 Table of Contents
President's Message
Guest Speaker
Calendar
EIUAA People
Farewells
Committee Reports
Luncheon Reservation Form

President's Message

New Year. New governor. New budget. Same old pension mess.

Although Governor J. B. Pritzker sounds like he wants to solve the $134 billion in unfunded pension liability in the state, he’s off to a slow start.

In Pritzker’s first proposed budget that has been sent to the General Assembly, he proposes to:

• extend by seven years the pension payment schedule, meaning the payment schedule started in the 1990s won’t be 90 percent solvent until 2052 instead of 2047;
• cut the next fiscal year’s pension payments by $800 million to decrease the present burden on the budget;
• issue $2.3 billion in bonds to pay down pension debt;
• plan on selling state assets, i.e. the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago and/or the Illinois Tollway, to reduce pension debt;
• and expand the pension buyout plan for new employees.

To help finance pension payments and balance the state’s budget, he plans to increase $1.1 billion in revenue by:

• implementing a graduated income tax that would tax the wealthy at a higher rate;
• legalizing recreational marijuana, sell licenses and tax sales;
• imposing a tax on plastic bags;
• nd increasing taxes on cigarettes, e-cigarettes and sports betting, among other tax hike proposals.

He does propose increasing funding for K-12 and the state’s public universities, which higher ed badly needs. However, conservatives point out this is increasing the state’s spending at a time when it should be cutting spending to help pay off the state’s massive debt.

They also point out that to implement his graduated income tax plan, the General Assembly will have to vote to amend the Illinois Constitution that mandates a flat rate income tax, a process that could take at least 18 months.

However, conservative groups argue that if lawmakers can amend the Constitution to get rid of the flat tax, they can amend the Constitution to do away with the clause that state pensions can’t be reduced or diminished. They’d love to do away or reduce the annual 3 percent cost of living increase for starters.

For the time being, Pritzker and the Democrats who control the Legislature don’t plan to go after the pension clause. At his budget address, Pritzker said he believes the state should keep its pension promises to state employees who deserve their pensions.

While the status quo appears safe for now, it means pension debt because of delayed payments will continue to grow. Because of that, the EIU Annuitants Association and its parent, the State University Annuitants Association, are more important than ever.

We have to stay vigilant that our pensions are guaranteed, and we have to keep looking out for our interests.

All EIU annuitants need to stay involved, too. They should look to serve on the annuitants association board of directors or at least on some of its committees.

If you would like to serve in some capacity, send me a note (jmryan@eiu.edu). We could use your help, enthusiasm and insight.

John Ryan
EIU Annuitants Association President, 2019

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Guest Speaker

Dr. Brandon Combs, Mayor of Charleston

Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs

Charleston is a city literally and figuratively on the move, Mayor Brandon Combs says.

It is quickly becoming a bike and hike city; a major redo of Lincoln Avenue is coming this summer; and new businesses are moving to the square and around town.

Those were among the developments Combs mentioned Feb. 28 during a presentation to the EIU Annuitants Association Chapter meeting at the Neal Welcome Center.

“We have nearly nine miles of (bike and hiking) trails and we are in no way done,” he said.

Thanks to grants attained by the city, the bike path from Mattoon to Charleston will be paved and eventually extended all the way to Fox Ridge State Park. Bikers will be able to take Amtrak to Mattoon and bike to Fox Ridge State Park, he said.

Over the past three years, the city has increased the number of trails around Lake Charleston, which has increased the use of the area, he said.

“People tell me it’s been since the 1970s when the lake area was used so much.”

Combs said city employees have taken photos of car license plates from all over the country parked at Sister City Park, just across the street from the entrance to the trails.

A new pavilion and playground area for children, including a zip line, have been built and that has helped, too.

The city has a comprehensive bike plan, thanks to volunteers, such as Brendan Lynch of Bike & Hike.

“I didn’t realize how big these trails are,” Combs said. “Other cities want to know how to do it.”

This coming summer, 200 bikers are going to travel to Charleston to check out the trails and stay overnight.

Also coming this summer will be the start of a major expansion of Lincoln Avenue. The state is funding the project since Lincoln Avenue is part of Illinois Route 16.

The state plans to widen the street and intersections and redo all the sidewalks to make them handicap accessible.

The mayor said the project has been slow to develop because the state has had to buy property and many of the businesses didn’t want to sell. Once the project gets under way, it will take a long time to complete.

The city plans to shell out money for new LED lighting on Lincoln and street signage in an elegant black finish.

“It’s just going to make it so much better,” Combs said.

The city also is going to install solar panels at the waste water and water treatment plants to help save money and provide energy for the facilities. Combs said Charleston is so much better off than most cities. He said the city does not have money problems, it has been well run for many years and he receives very few complaints.

“We have a pretty amazing town,” he said.

Businesses are moving to the square. Local businessman Ryan Strange plans to open a meat market on the east side of the square and a boutique. He also has bought the CTF Building at Seventh and Jackson streets and he plans to open a business there, too. However, the mayor said he can not reveal yet what is planned for the property.

“Just to see things happening on the square is fantastic,” he said.

A company has bought the Save-A-Lot property on east Lincoln and plans to build a new business there. Century 21 built a new building on the west end of Lincoln, a new business is planned for 18th Street, a new restaurant recently opened on Fourth Street and other businesses plan to move into town.

Combs has been mayor since 2013. A city council member, he was appointed Mayor Pro Tem when Mayor Larry Reynolds died. A 1999 Eastern grad and a graduate of Logan University College of Chiropractic, Combs said: “One day I always thought I’d be major of Charleston. I just thought it would be when I was 54, not 34.”

During a question and answer session following his presentation, Combs said he has met with the owner of the old Kentucky Fried Chicken building on Lincoln that was last a How Y’all Are restaurant in an attempt to get something done with the property. The building has sat vacant for many years.

Combs said Jamie Coulter, founder of Lone Star Steakhouse restaurants, came to Charleston to meet with him but nothing has come of the meeting yet. Coulter has a sentimental attachment to the building because it was one of his first restaurants.

Also, He said there hasn’t been much movement on renovations to the Will Rogers theater or a buyer for the former Wal-Mart building.

The mayor said the city has been able to handle unfunded mandates required by the state. More money has been put into the Municipal Pension fund. He said city leaders hold a retreat every year and have a five-year plan. One of the projects has been to replace every sidewalk in town and that project is almost complete.

“It’s an honor to be mayor of this town,” he said. “I’m so proud of our city and the way things are run here. I’m only as good as the people working at City Hall.”

Submitted by John Ryan (jmryan@eiu.edu)

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Calendar

Date	Event	Venue
Friday, April 26, 2019, 11 a.m.	Annual Luncheon	Wesley United Methodist Church (note new location)
Thursday, May 30, 2019, 9 a.m.	Board of Directors Meeting	Neal Welcome Center
Thursday, July 11, 2019 | 8:30 a.m.	Chapter Meeting	Neal Welcome Center
Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, 9 a.m.	Board of Directors Meeting	Neal Welcome Center
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 | 8:30 a.m.	Chapter Meeting	Neal Welcome Center
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, 9 a.m.	Board of Directors Meeting	Neal Welcome Center
Note: Chapter meetings at the Neal Welcome Center begin with an 8:30 a.m. social time and come to order at 9 a.m.

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EIUAA People

EIUAA Officers
John Ryan	jmryan@eiu.edu	President
Richard Wandling	rawandling@eiu.edu	President-Elect
Jeffrey Lynch	jplynch@eiu.edu	Past President
Nancy Dole	jndole@consolidated.net	Secretary
Margaret Messer	mkmesser@eiu.edu	Treasurer

Board Members
Wendy Long, Mary Anne Hanner, Margaret Messer, Jeffrey Lynch, John Ryan, Gail Mason, Nancy Dole, Richard Wandling, Ronald Wohlstein, John Flynn, Beverly Cruse

Committees
Communications	Wendy Long (Chair), Audrey Edwards, Roann Kopel, John Ryan
Events	Gail Mason (Chair), Jody Horn, Marita Metzke, Rosalee Noble, Ernie Secrest
Legislative	Jeffrey Lynch (Chair), Jim Bush, Henry Davis, Sue Kaufman, Gail Mason
Membership	Mary Anne Hanner (Chair), John Best, Kathryn Bulver, John Flynn, Norma Taylor, Dale Wolf, Joan Zieren
Scholarship	Nancy Dole (Chair), Nancy Curran, Brad Green, Margaret Messer

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Farewells

Following are brief notices only. To read a full obituary or leave condolences, visit www.jg-tc.com, www.mitchell-jerdan.com, and www.adamsfuneralchapel.com.

Robert Allen “Bob” Spoo, (Football Coach), 80, of Rockford, IL, formerly of Charleston, IL, died Monday (October 15, 2018) at his home. Survivors include his daughter Katharine 'Katie' Spoo of Rockford, IL, and several nephews and nieces.

Thalia Lynn Wetzel, (Student Life), 80, of Charleston, died Oct. 30, 2018, at home.. Survived by her husband, Paul, and five children and nine grandchildren.

Danny Ray Weir, (Building Service Worker), 73, of Casey, died Dec. 17, 2018, at home. Survivors include wife of 48 years, Susie; two sons, Dustin Lee Weir of Glendale, Calif. and Lincoln Ray Weir of Indianapolis.

Harold Arthur “Hal” Malehorn, (Education), 88, of Charleston died Dec. 19, 2018, at Odd Fellow Rebekah Home, Mattoon. Survivors include two daughters, Kathryn (Timothy) Rapson of Decatur, and Janet (Jerry) Spencer of Helena, Montana; two sons, Steven of Charleston and David (Lois) of Pittsburgh, Penn.; a nephew and seven grandchildren.

Patricia Ingram, (Secretary), 76, of rural Charleston, died Dec. 23, 2018, at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. Survivors include two sisters, Norma Jean Sellett and Virginia Joan Corrie; three nieces, five nephews, and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.

Catherine A. Smith, (Music), 93, distinguished faculty emerita, died Jan. 2 at Meadowood in Bloomington, Ind. Survivors include her sister, Marie Mitchell and 19 nieces and nephews.

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Committee Reports

Legislative Committee

There is now unified government in Illinois. With only 44 Republicans in the House and 19 Republicans in the Senate, many political commentators are speculating whether the IL GOP is relevant in the Legislature. There are more Democrats in the House alone than the GOP has in the entire Legislature. Leadership is sending positive signals that it can work together with Dems on agenda items of common interest. Tim Schneider, ILGOP chair and a Rauner appointee, continues a scorched earth policy against Dems. Charlie Weaver, perhaps the most experienced political commentator in Springfield, suggests that people pay less attention to GOP staffers and more to the House and Senate GOP leadership regarding the state’s agenda. Governor Pritzker’s agenda is beginning to take shape. Below is an outline to date in no particular priority:

• Gov. Pritzker has pledged a balanced budget in the first year. Obviously, pledges made at inaugurals must be taken with a very large sack of salt. How will “balanced” be defined? More in less out? The deficit can’t be eliminated in one year, nor can the pension hole. Add to this that the U.S. trade war has more and more economists warning of a recession, which Illinois historically has not weathered very well.
• Gov. Pritzker signed on to the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bi-partisan coalition of governors who have pledged to uphold the environmental protections of the Paris Climate Agreement. He is the 18th governor to sign.
• Gov. Pritzker promoted a progressive income tax during the campaign. He has a tight window of opportunity, i.e., 2020, to make that happen. This will be politically controversial.
• Gov. Pritzker signed new gun seller legislation. Gun sellers must now be licensed by the state as well as the feds, whose oversight has been stretched. It adds cameras to all sales and a 72-hour waiting period.
• Gov. Pritzker signed what is now the most progressive abortion legislation in the nation.
• The IBHE is seeking an 18% increase in funding for universities, the only government entity being funded in real not inflationary dollars lower than 30 years ago.

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Membership Committee

EIUAA's Greatest Asset: Our membership is our greatest asset. Increasing and sustaining membership in EIUAA/SUAA is essential to the success of our organization. Here are a few tips for sustaining our membership:

#1 - Renew your membership as soon as you receive the first renewal notice from SUAA.

#2 - If you pay annually, switch to payment through a monthly deduction of $3.17 from your SURS annuity so that you don't have to renew each year.

#3 - Thanks to all of our members who do pay dues through SURS deduction! That helps EIUAA and SUAA be more cost effective and efficient!

Thanks for maintaining your membership! EIUAA and SUAA will continue to advocate on your behalf to maintain your retirement and health care benefits.

— Membership Committee: John Best, John Flynn, Mary Anne Hanner, Ron Wohlstein, and Jone Zieren

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Scholarship Committee

Thank you to all who have contributed to the EIUAA Scholarship Fund over the years. Contributions may be designated in memory of annuitants and are always welcome. Monetary donations to our corpus have allowed us to increase our annual award to $1000, double the original award amount of $500 as described by Alan Baharlou in his article which can be found by clicking on the torch on the Scholarship section of our web site. In Alan’s words: “The Annuitants’ Scholarship that EIU Annuitants Association established in 2006 for the offspring of any EIU annuitant or employee, will light a torch that will burn for the entire lives of the recipients, generate confidence, and unleash immense amounts of energy. The bonus for those of us who help to endow and enhance this scholarship is that its positive impact remains in the memories of the recipients, for what we hope will be eternity. Our children, grandchildren, and their offspring will proudly remember that there were once visionaries and generous people who touched them in the early journey of their lives; a noble legacy.”

The deadline for applying for this year’s Annuitants Association Scholarship was March 15, 2019. The review process has begun using the available electronic evaluation but will also include a team of qualified EIU staff members who will make recommendation to the Scholarship Committee for the final selection. In the event that there are several suitable applicants, preference will be given to the recipient(s) with financial need. The award will be presented at the Annual Spring luncheon to be held at Wesley United Methodist Church on Friday, April 26. Come help us celebrate the recipient of our scholarship.

— Nancy Dole, Scholarship Committee Chair and Margaret Messer, Committee Member

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Luncheon Reservation Form

(Printable version available here)