Joe Taxpayer done in by greedy teachers

District U-46 teachers threatened to strike after being offered a three-year 16 percent increase. Naperville District 203 teachers threatened to strike in 2005 with a 15 percent offer on the table.

How does it feel, Joe Taxpayer? Isn't everyone getting 5 percent to 7 percent raises these days?

Do you think it might be time to get off your comfortable sofas and vote for school board members who have the competence and the backbone to start running a school district like a business with limited resources?

Wouldn't it be refreshing for once to have a school board actually stand up to these militant unions?

Unfortunately, Illinois is one of only a handful of states remaining that still allows teachers to strike. This affords teachers unions tremendous amount of negotiating leverage, which in turn emboldens them to become more and more confrontational.

Until politicians here find the courage to stand up to the Illinois Education Association (don't hold your breath), the only recourse for Joe Taxpayer is to vote for school board candidates who are not endorsed by the union.

Six of the seven school board members in District 203 were endorsed and financially supported by the union. Just wait until the 2010 contract comes up. These outrageous and unaffordable contracts are going to continue as long as school boards are comprised of members who don't have the qualifications to be managing a $200 million business, and whose allegiance is to the union that got them elected.

Mike Davitt

Naperville