The recent article in The Journal Standard on a police officer retiring after 26 years on the Freeport Police Force is not in itself news. What is news is that this is happening all over the State of Illinois. Public sector employees retiring in their early 50’s with large pensions with guaranteed annual 3 per cent increases. These employees then leave the high tax state of Illinois, head to Florida and collect their Illinois pensions, and frequently start a new job in the public sector so they can qualify for another pension! The retiring officer stated that he would miss the people of Freeport. That may be true, but I doubt that he will miss the State of Illinois with its high real estate and other taxes. When the snow is flying in Freeport next January, he will just smile when he receives his pension check from Freeport and his new check from his Florida job. And to the citizens of Illinois, keep working and pay those high taxes so this officer and other retired Illinois public sector employees can enjoy the Florida sunshine.