You’re getting ripped off, Lansing
EDITORIALS June 18, 2012 9:30PM
Updated: July 20, 2012 6:18AM
If you live in south suburban Lansing, know this: Your village board is ripping you off.
Your property tax bill is higher than it should be because the board has awarded absurdly lavish pensions to about 40 retiring cops and firefighters. And the scam goes on.
According to a Better Government Association story in Monday’s Sun-Times, it works like this:
If a cop or firefighter has 20 years on the job and turns 50 years old, he can retire and get a 25 percent boost in pay or $12,000 — his choice — on his last day of work. His pension, for the rest of his days, is based on that inflated final paycheck.
Lansing Village President Norm Abbott wants to end the practice, which a state agency called a bad deal 17 years ago. But Abbott can’t get four votes from the seven-member village board, which apparently cares more about its police and firefighter pals and relatives than it cares about you.
We didn’t know Lansing has tax money to burn.
