I applaud your excellent editorial laying out the unfairness of awarding exorbitant wage increases, while asking people to pay 30 percent more to ride Metra.
But what is the answer to this? If you question these people, they'll immediately respond with the same old saw about "comparable" salaries elsewhere. Where are these "comparable" salaries being received? How prevalent are they? And why is it that these comparisons always generate upward movement? If they're lower than "comparable" salaries, do they ever get a pay cut? With all the rampant unemployment, how can they award these unjustified raises based on such specious hypotheses?
What we need to address situations like this is for a newspaper, like the Daily Herald working on behalf of the long-suffering taxpayers, to call for and lead a boycott of Metra until the pay raises are rescinded. That's the only action that would be justified.
How ironic is it that the Tea Party people will rail against the federal government for what they consider expenses run amok, but here's an issue looming large in their own backyard that really needs to be addressed, and they remain silent. Where is the voice of Joe Walsh now?
Rosemary Colbert
Schaumburg
