Dist. 220 pay increases irresponsible

District 220 school board President Brian Battle has shown the taxpayers in District 220 how absolutely out of touch and irresponsible the school board is by approving not only 3.9% raises in the worst economy since the great depression but also including the normal 2.9% step increases and no pension reductions. This lucrative pay contract for the 220 school district is being implemented in an environment that has a great number of taxpayers experiencing layoffs, furloughs, pay reductions, 401(k) freezes, year after year benefit reductions, pension reductions and foreclosures.

The school board's primary purpose is to represent the taxpayer and bridge the gap between the above economic reality and the sheltered environment of academia with the goal of protecting the currently overburdened taxpayers from unjustified runaway spending that will ultimately widen the above chasm. The only "give" the teachers made was to pick up more of their benefit costs and the end of 2010. What a novel gesture by the teachers in a reality that has everyone else in the working world paying 30% or move for their own health care benefit costs for the last decade or more.

I cannot even imagine what Mr. Battle and the school board will do to the 220 taxpayers when the economy recovers and the next contact is up in 2012. If he is unable to enforce any restraint in these difficult days, the sky is the limit next time around and hold on to your wallets.

It is time for the taxpayers to elect school board representatives instead of the District 220 puppets currently seated (with the exclusion of Nicholas Sauer and Jeff Church who correctly represented the taxpayers in voting against this travesty).

Bob Hallstrom

South Barrington