Great breakdown on what it takes to be in the top 1% in a state by NBC. The call out that 129,000 individuals working for Illinois' state/local government will have $1M+ retirement packages puts them in the Top 1% of the Illinois population.
If you are from the generation that get access to the pension system that are generous, everything looks great. However, the new hires won't be getting the same level of benefits.
Comparing options;
Private citizens average 401k balance @ retirement $195k.
Illinois Government Pensioners in the top 1%: $1M+
The Illinois Government Pensioners contribution rate: <10%. The other 90% paid by the Illinois taxpayer.
So when returns are not required, just taxpayers to fill the void, that is a system worthwhile to receive from, but don't want to be paying into.