Barack Obama “supporter” steals $1 million in lifetime benefits from Illinois taxpayers

Andy Martin reports on the incredible cesspool of Barack Obama’s Illinois supporters. Illinois is bankrupt—looted by public officials through greed, incompetence and lavish public employee pensions. State Senator Carol Ronen has become the highest paid public official in American history: $1 million in lifetime benefits for one month in a no-show job. Now she is “volunteering” for Barack Obama. America: don’t say we didn’t warn you.

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

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BARACK OBAMA “SUPPORTER” STEALS $1 MILLION IN LIFETIME BENEFITS FROM ILLINOIS TAXPAYERS

ILLINOIS IS TRULY THE GREAT CESSPOOL OF AMERICAN POLITICS

ILLINOIS PUBLIC OFFICIALS ARE A DEN OF THIEVES PREYING ON A HELPLESS PUBLIC

THE PUBLIC KLEPTOCRACY IN ILLINOIS CONTINUES TO LOOT A PROSTRATE STATE

THERE IS NO “PENSION PAIN” FOR PART-TIME POLITICIANS IN BARACK OBAMA’S BACK YARD

(CHICAGO)(May 27, 2008) It’s always embarrassing to say you are from Illinois. Barack Obama’s backyard is where he learned all of the dirty tricks and double-dealing that have brought him to the pinnacle of national power. The cronies he left behind in the Illinois senate continue to loot a prostrate state. And they are praying Obama will give them the opportunity to prey on the U. S. Treasury.

Over the slow news Memorial Day weekend the Chicago Sun-Times reported a story that is perhaps the most disgraceful example of shameless looting by one of Obama’s former colleagues and current “volunteers.” State Senator Carol Ronen served with Obama.

At a time when Illinois taxpayers are facing a financial abyss because of the deteriorating national economy, and when the state has been bankrupted by political greed, incompetence, and lavish public employee pensions, http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=197304, http://www.sj-r.com/news/x1867432050/Pension-Pain-Fixing-state-plans-won-t-be-easy the Sun-Times story disclosing Ronen’s financial shenanigans took greed and corruption to a new level of contempt for the public.

Illinois government has become a kleptocracy where part-time public officials scheme and maneuver to loot the public treasury, and to impose an endlessly escalating financial burden on working families and business in the state. Carol Ronen took honest graft to a higher plateau, although it is likely she is not alone in her quest for public cash.

The Sun-Times reported http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/968552,CST-NWS-pension24.article that merely by being on Governor Blagojevich’s payroll for a little over a month, Ronen was able to fatten her lifetime public pension benefits by over one million dollars. Yes. $1 million. One month/one million.

Ronen has become perhaps the highest paid public official in history, and a poster girl for legislative greed in Springfield.

How did Ronen work her scam? Simple. “It’s legal.” The cesspool of Illinois politics is structured to allow part-time public officials such as state legislators to loot the bankrupt public treasury for “retirement benefits.”

As a part-time legislator, Ronen accrued an annual retirement benefit of $64,000 annually. Simply by being listed on the governor’s payroll for over 30 days—and there is no showing that Ronen actually did anything during that period—she jumped her lifetime pension from $64,000 to $102,000.

This scam is morally and legally outrageous. For someone to collect $1 million in lifetime benefits for being listed as a ghost employee for a month is nothing more and nothing less than stealing from the taxpayers.

Ronen is now working for Barack Obama and, no doubt, planning new scams to enrich herself if Obama is elected.

And they wonder why Americans think of Illinois as a bottomless cesspool of political greed and contempt for the citizens of this state.

I will have more to say about this naked theft in the days ahead. Ronen should not be allowed to get away with this theft of public property, which is now being paid for by Illinois’ impoverished taxpayers.

America: meet Barack Obama’s supporters back home in Illinois. A den of thieves, pirates and crass opportunists who have looted Illinois and are praying for the opportunity to loot the United States of America. America: meet Caron Ronen, a new “volunteer” for Barack Obama. Yah, sure. Just the way she volunteered to serve the People of Illinois, and ended up becoming the highest paid public official in American history. One month/$1 million dollars in lifetime benefits.

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Chicago's Number One Internet columnist, broadcaster and media critic, Andy Martin, is the Executive Editor and publisher of http://www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin covers regional, national and world events with more than forty years of experience. He is a chronicler of all things Midwestern and the authentic Voice of Middle America. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. He has been a candidate for U. S. Senator from Illinois and Florida. www.AndyforUSSenator.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com.