Topics & Report

              topics &
r e port
Executive Director’s Message
Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois
Spring 2008
Director’s message continued on page 2
“Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are
doomed to repeat them.” — George Santayana
Teachers of American government are being given
another opportunity to use current events to edu-cate
their students about Illinois state government
— specifically, about its powers, functions, and
responsibilities. Under state law, Illinois voters
will decide this November whether to convene a Constitutional
Convention. And while to some this topic may seem as riveting
as say, watching grass grow, the ramifications of holding a con-vention
could be widespread and potentially threaten current
pension protections.
Proponents believe holding a Constitutional Convention provides
the opportunity for needed reforms, such as funding methods for
public schools and political campaigns and recall for elected public
officials. But one of the framers of the current Illinois Constitution
disagrees. Dawn Clark Netsch said most of those issues can and
should be addressed through the legislative process. Netsch, a for-mer
state senator and state comptroller, contends the constitution
should “deal with basics and not with the hot-button issues of the
day.” Netsch and Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn debated the issue
at a luncheon recently sponsored by my alma mater, the University
of Illinois.
Netsch points to the Illinois Constitution of 1870 to illustrate that
detailed government frameworks are cumbersome and require
constant revision. According to a report issued by the Institute of
Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois:
“The 1870 document was voluminous in detail and in time would be
criticized as a straitjacket on progress... The document forced local
governments to go to Springfield for authority to do anything, even
for Chicago to change the color of lights on its police squad cars.”
Netsch, a professor of law at Northwestern University, believes the
current constitution has nothing to do with the state’s current prob-lems
that have caused political gridlock in Springfield. “We don’t have
a constitutional crisis in the state of Illinois. We have a leadership
crisis,” she said. She’s concerned that the parameters of a convention
Retirement Security for Illinois Educators
Upcoming Board
Meetings
Springfield meetings are held
at the TRS office, 2815 West
Washington Street, Springfield,
Illinois.
May 21-23, 2008
Springfield
June 19-20, 2008 (tentative)
Springfield
Board actions can be found on
our Web site, trs.illinois.gov.
Highlights
Page 2
• Legislative Update
Page 3
• Investment Diversity
• TRS Posters
Page 4
• Nonoccupational
Disability Benefits
Page 5
• Matters of the Heart
Page 6
• Fraudulent E-mails
or Web Sites
• Benefit Choice Period
Page 7
• 10 Retirement Process Steps
• Secure Account Access
Page 8
• Important Notice: Payroll
Deduction Program Ending