Tuesday, the Plummer campaign released info about the Democrat Bill Enyart family's treasury of public pensions. While some political observers declare Plummer's attack as "desperate," most say focusing on the issue of the Enyart family stashing seven taxpayer-funded pensions makes sense. While no one would question Enyart's earned military pension, the issue Plummer raises begs the question, how many public retirement funds should one family be allowed to accrue?
At a time when Illinois is facing the reality of a seemingly insurmountable unpaid state pension debt, a wealthy trial lawyer like Enyart and his wife "seven-dipping" has to irritate taxpayers with pockets already picked bare.
The news Plummer released:
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill.- While seniors and working families in Southern Illinois are left in limbo about the future of the pensions they earned, millionaire trial lawyer Bill Enyart and his family continue to enrich themselves on the taxpayer's dime.
Enyart, who served as a political adviser to convicted felon Rod Blagojevich and Governor Quinn, and his wife Annette currently collect three taxpayer-funded pensions that pay more than $156,000 each year. With his household in line to receive at least four more taxpayer-funded pensions, how much more will Enyart collect off the backs of the taxpayers?
If elected, the Enyarts would add an eighth pension to their collection. This begs the question: Is he running to enrich himself or the lives of Southern Illinois families?
"While our teachers, corrections officers, and first responders are kept in the dark about the future of their hard-earned pensions, Bill provides a perfect example of the pension abuse that has driven Illinois into a financial hole," 12th Congressional District Candidate Jason Plummer said. "Bill and his St. Clair County Trial Lawyer colleagues have driven thousands of jobs from the area, and his blatant abuse of the pension system is driving certainty from our state employees' futures."
Much of Illinois' dire financial situation is due to pension abuse, and Enyart's insider dealings show how Illinois' pension system has been corrupted. Two of the pensions that he collects come from positions
that lasted a total of 14 and 19 months, respectively.
"Thousands of hard-working public servants throughout government have earned pensions that are now threatened by Bill and his political cronies like Blagojevich and Quinn who have enriched themselves at the taxpayer's expense," Plummer said.
"I will fight to clean up the corruption in government and protect the promises we have made to those public servants who to contribute to the system, not those gaming the system," Plummer added.
