State of Illinois' record of shorting pensions goes back decades

SPRINGFIELD -- A warning about the funding shortfall to pensions was part of a report by the Illinois Public Employees Pension Laws Commission to Gov. William Stratton ... in 1959. In the 44 years since that report was issued, the debt of the state’s pension systems has grown exponentially, and mostly for the same reason warned of in 1959 -- inadequate contributions by the government.