Illinois financial troubles started far earlier than 1998.....

[raising2moredems]

4. IL pension problems started back in the 1940s..

http://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-illinois-pension-crisis-info-20150512-story.html

The first step to dealing with the pension problem is to stop double dipping. "Retire" from one state job, start collecting pension. Be "appointed" to another state job, new pension meter starts.

Or take Denny Hastert - teacher with pension. State legislator with pension. Federal representative with pension. Absolutely NO offset, talk about welfare. I have a copy of my grandfather's pension papers. Company offset his pension with what he would collect from social security, his company "pension" was a joke. And of course private sector retirement benefits can be cut or eliminated at any time. No such problem exists for public sector retirement benefits.

And for full disclosure, I also think Obama's state pension should be offset by his federal/presidential pensions.