http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ Discussion Forum for Riverside Illinois en Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:39:27 +0000 http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/vehicle-sticker-prices-in-the-news#post-13262 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:28:10 +0000 camarox 13262@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>I have a project car that has sat without a motor or a transmission since I have owned it. I sent a copy of the Riverside Village code stating that a vehicle has to be able to move under its own power to the Village Manager who did not even dignify me with a reply. Wasted 3 1/2 hours waiting to speak to the judge on this matter and had it all thrown out. </p> <p>This seemed to be the theme of the hearing... throwing these ridiculous fines out or reducing them. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/vehicle-sticker-prices-in-the-news#post-13212 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:23:26 +0000 EricSundstrom 13212@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>My father had a 66 pontiac in his name untill he recently passed. We had village stickers every year for that car going back decades. When he died we gave the car to my nephew who lives in Hinckley Il . When he transfered the title he used my office address for a mail address so we could keep the paperwork for him. The village saw the new title did not see a sticker purchased in his name and charged him $600 in fines. We went to the village showed them the records for the old sticker purchases and still had to go to court. Monumental waste of time. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/vehicle-sticker-prices-in-the-news#post-13211 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:03:45 +0000 anonymous 13211@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>I thought mostly out of state college kids with cars were the ones caught without vehicle stickers. guess not. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/vehicle-sticker-prices-in-the-news#post-13210 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:40:56 +0000 ChrisHajer 13210@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p><a href="http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/07/cities-stick-it-to-residents-over-vehicle-stickers.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/07/cities-stick-it-to-residents-over-vehicle-stickers.html</a></p> <blockquote><p>Greg Alm, of Riverside, was stunned to open his mail recently and find he had been assessed $1,320 in fines for failing to buy village vehicle stickers this year -- and in 2007, 2008 and 2009.</p> <p>Riverside had begun using software that cross-checked town data with secretary of state registration records to target vehicle owners who never bought a village sticker.</p> <p>As cash-strapped municipalities struggle to balance their budgets during the recession, many are testing new ways to nab vehicle sticker scofflaws and collect more fees and fines.</p></blockquote> <p>Some good comments there too </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/pensions/page/4#post-13096 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:21:16 +0000 CuriousResident 13096@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/16/news/economy/pension_fund_crisis.fortune/index.htm">State pension plans in crisis: underfunded by $1 trillion?</a> </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/pensions/page/3#post-13095 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:55:42 +0000 mrt 13095@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>some more on this subject</p> <p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/15/AR2010061504396.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/15/AR2010061504396.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions</a></p> <blockquote><p><strong>Congress should let states handle their own labor relations</strong></p> <p>Wednesday, June 16, 2010<br /> ALL ACROSS America, state and local governments are struggling with recession-induced budget crises as revenue has plummeted and demand for services has remained high. But the issue is not only cyclical. Many public employees have been promised pay, pensions and health benefits that tax bases cannot sustain even in good times. As a result, voters and political leaders of both parties are rethinking the costs and benefits of public-sector unionism.</p> <p>Except in Congress, it seems. Senate Majority Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) is pushing to federalize labor relations between state and local governments and some public-sector unions. The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act would require all states to give police and fire unions "adequate" collective bargaining rights -- as determined by the Federal Labor Relations Authority. States deemed "inadequate" could wind up in federal court. Long sought by public-safety unions, the bill is supported not only by Mr. Reid but also by Republicans, including the soon-to-retire Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.). It has a good chance of passing if the Senate can fit it on its busy calendar.<br /> ... </p></blockquote> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/pensions/page/3#post-12867 Mon, 24 May 2010 23:10:18 +0000 anonymous 12867@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Along with your comments and frustrations about the federal government not funding fully their pensions is the fact that the vast majority of government employees are exempt from the health care bill. Also exempt from it are the unions. Why? If it's so great they should be chomping at the bit to be covered by it. The arrogance of government employees is what makes me so mad. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/pensions/page/3#post-12866 Mon, 24 May 2010 21:48:00 +0000 ChrisHajer 12866@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>I read a story in Crain's today that really made me mad. Edward Lampert, Chairman of Sears, wants a break from the federal rules that require pensions be fully funded in 2011. This was a gradual phase in over 7 years. Lampert wants an exemption from the rules so he can spend the cash on buying back shares instead of fully funding the company's pension obligations.</p> <p>There's just so much wrong with this approach I don't even know where to start. Read the article for yourself (I don't believe this link requires registration):<br /> <a href="http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/printStory.pl?article_id=33424" rel="nofollow">http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/printStory.pl?article_id=33424</a></p> <p>He complains that "complying with the existing funding requirement would devastate Sears' cash flow this year and possibly next." Yeah, well, boo hoo. Years of UNDERFUNDING it means you have to pay up. And the only thing stretching it out another two years does is gives you (Lampert) 2 more years to artificially boost share prices and exit with a big incentive package.</p> <p>He also wrote, in his annual letter to shareholders "The ability to spread the payments out over an additional two years would have allowed us to keep some of those marginally performing stores open." Apparently, being forced to meet the pension obligations meant they had to close stores. Well, guess what: the marginal stores needed to go. They were costing money, and closing them allowed you to meet your OBLIGATIONS.</p> <p>After getting riled at his comments, I had to stop and think: why did the federal government require corporations (all corporations, big corporations?) to full fund their pensions, but they cannot do the same of government and unions?</p> <p>All this short term thinking has gotten us into a heap of trouble.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08</a></p> <p>It was in the Sun Times a couple weeks ago too:<br /> <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/business/2233362,sears-store-closing-lampert-050510.article" rel="nofollow">http://www.suntimes.com/business/2233362,sears-store-closing-lampert-050510.article</a> </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/pensions/page/3#post-12862 Mon, 24 May 2010 14:57:34 +0000 EricSundstrom 12862@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Just remember this funding problem was over 30 yearas in the making.I lay this fiscal train wreck at the feet of the politicians, past and present, who want to, and did, kick this problem down the road for future generations to deal with. Almost every carrer politician in office in Illinois today is guilty of allowing this problem to burgeon, an we should send a message to the Mike Madigans ,Quinn's and Daleys,in Illinois by voting their butts out of office next election cycle. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/pensions/page/3#post-12844 Fri, 21 May 2010 11:57:42 +0000 idic5 12844@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>a little more on the pension issue..</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/05/19/is-a-1-trillion-bailout-ahead-for-state-pension-funds/" rel="nofollow">http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/05/19/is-a-1-trillion-bailout-ahead-for-state-pension-funds/</a></p> <blockquote><p> <strong>Is a $1 Trillion Bailout Ahead for State Pension Funds?</strong></p> <p>By Sudeep Reddy</p> <p>The budget woes facing U.S. states may not be as overwhelming as the troubles in Greece. But in a new paper, Northwestern University economist Joshua Rauh says at least seven states are heading toward crushing crises — of the magnitude that would require U.S. bailouts in the next decade — from one cause: state pension liabilities.</p> <p>In some state constitutions, promised pension benefits to state and local government workers take a higher priority than general obligation bonds. Rauh, with the University of Chicago’s Robert Novy-Marx, previously estimated that state pension liabilities stood at $3 trillion at the end of 2008 compared to $1 trillion in other forms of debt.</p> <p>Even if pension funds received 8% annual returns, many large states would run so short — without any overhaul today — that raising state taxes to make up for it would be insufficient, he says. Illinois, for instance, would run out of money in its three primary pension funds by 2018. In the years after, the payments owed to existing state workers would be $14 billion, or more than half of the total revenue Illinois projects in 2010.<br /> ... </p></blockquote>