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McCarter shares pension reform plan

If the state of Illinois is to get out of the fiscal mess it's in, the pension system must be reformed.

That was the message State Sen. Kyle McCarter delivered to members of the Vandalia Chamber of Commerce at last Wednesday's monthly chamber meeting.
"There are benefits in there that we simply can't afford," McCarter said. "In 2017, the checks won't come if we don't do something."
McCarter said that he voted against a recent pension reform bill, but said it was because that bill didn't really fix the problem. Instead, he has developed an alternative bill that will get the state out of the pension business.
"In my plan, we would introduce a 401K hybrid plan that would eventually replace the current pension plan," he said. "It's close to the hybrid plan that Utah put in, and it will be administered by TRS. It will be good for employees, taxpayers and the state.
"Some of this, we're going to have to grow out of it. The numbers have to work."
McCarter also criticized a recent bill that increased the sales tax on cigarettes, saying that it will lose as much revenue as it generates because people living near the state's borders will simply drive across the state line to buy cheaper cigarettes. "And while they're across the border, we'll lose sales tax revenue when they make unrelated purchases. That wasn't factored in when this sales tax was proposed."   
Also at Wednesday's meeting, June Mahon reported that the Tourist Information Center had 212 visitors from 17 states and three foreign countries  during July.
Bill Haselhorst announced that the Vandalia Lions Club will host a car show at Vandalia Lake on Aug. 24-26.

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