Public pensions vs. Social Security

I am disappointed with your story on public pensions vs. social security. You led with two families and list their retirement income. What you did not list, which is of utmost importance, is the pre-retirement income, level of education, level of job expertise, difficulty of the profession and years on the job. Any comparison made between these two groups without proper data would be difficult at best. Yet the Daily Herald makes it look simple.

The system itself is a separate issue from the lack of funds. If not for the continuous irresponsible actions of our government officials, we would not be in this mess. As stated in the article, less than 2 percent of the payouts are more than $100,000. But for some reason, the basis of the story is to make us believe that the problem is a result of those 2 percent. Whether or not administrators collect too much is a different issue.

Lastly, I would like to point out that while some see teachers as overpaid, no one complains about the high test scores, level of expertise or dedication of these individuals. I constantly hear reference to "how things are in the real world." But many forget that there is no glass ceiling on earnings in the "real world." A master's or Ph.D along with a strong work ethic can result in earnings far above the average while in the educational system, it is limited to tax dollars.

Teachers are held to a higher ethical standard in the community, are responsible for properly educating our future generations and may be the most influential force in our children's life. To say that they "shouldn't be considered special" is to shortchange them. And to say that they are treated special is to be uninformed.

Jeff Bowes

Arlington Heights