CO-04 (Special Election)
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(R) Greg Lopez
(R) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Joe Biden*
(R) Donald Trump
80%
20%↓
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
90%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
90%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(D) Adam Frisch
(R) Jeff Hurd
(R) Ron Hanks
40%
30%
20%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert
(R) Deborah Flora
(R) J. Sonnenberg
30%↑
15%↑
10%↓
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Dave Williams
(R) Jeff Crank
50%↓
50%↑
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
90%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) Brittany Pettersen
85%↑
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
(R) Janak Joshi
60%↑
35%↓
30%↑
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
August 14, 2013 09:16 PM UTC
2 Comments
Hey Algernon, Social Security's long-term COLA of 4.13% sure beats PERA's zero to 2% …
Illinois Teachers' COLA Targeted To Mask Pension Fraud
http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/guest-commentary/2013-04-28/guest-commentary-teachers-cola-targeted-mask-pension-fraud.html
"Most states and savvy pension plans use COLAs modeled on Social Security, as informed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, for 30 years the Illinois Legislature has been misleading its teachers and public employees by employing a low COLA rate of 3 percent when the federal Social Security rate has been an average of 30 percent higher at 4.13 percent. The Illinois Legislature has technically been keeping the difference between the higher inflation rates and the Illinois 3 percent COLA."
Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul is an engaging public figure, but he needs to get it right on public pension rights in Illinois. Illinois' Governor recently decided to withhold the salaries of Illinois state lawmakers until they arrive at a solution to Illinois' historical pension underfunding problem (i.e., he wants them to propose breach of pension contracts.)
Kwame Raoul thinks that it is unconstitutional for the state to withhold state legislator's earned compensation. So, why does Kwame believe that it is constitutionally permissible for the state to withhold the earned, deferred compensation of retired public sector workers by perhaps seizing their contracted pension COLA benefits?
Illinois Pension Conference Committee Chair Kwame Raoul on state legislator's contractual rights to earned compensation:
"I think … there are just plain old labor law issues, employment law issues, because we’re employed, in essence, by contract. And it’s an assigned salary, so if you don’t pay somebody, you’re obviously in violation of the law, you know?"
Kwame Raoul on Illinois public pension retiree COLA benefits:
"It’s identical in that aspect (the plan’s primary component is changing a 3 percent compounded cost-of-living increase to a percent equal to half of the inflation rate)."
"One of the attractive aspects is the notion of inflation protection for the employees and retirees. And that’s attractive both from just a moral standpoint and from making an argument of constitutionality in terms of having something offered."
(My comment: Kwame, breaking a contractual public pension COLA obligation is not at all "attractive," nor is it "constitutional." Taking something from a person is not giving something to a person. Illinois pensions have "automatic," contracted COLA benefits. Public pension COLA benefits are deferred compensation, presently earned. It looks like Kwame wants to see the State of Illinois "inflate away" its pension debt, by taking money from the elderly.)
http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2013/07/30/dispatch-7-30-2013.aspx
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