Teachers deserve good pension plan
Of all the people in this world to blame for high pensions, why would you ever choose teachers? Teachers are the future of our nation. Without highly educated people, we cannot succeed. We cannot have highly educated people without quality teachers. District 214, 211, 25 and all the other Northwest suburbs are known for their excellent schools. This is due to our teachers. They have worked hard and deserve their pensions.
If you want to put someone on the front page of your paper as an example of excess, then why not put Roland Burris or any other senator or representative or high official in the public works department or RTA or the robber-baron CEOs? They have done next to nothing to earn their outrageous pensions while ensuring higher taxes and lower wages for everyone else.
You want to make an example of a group of people unworthy of the pension they receive take any of the above but leave out teachers, firemen and policemen. Start with those who have contributed the least before we start campaigning against those who have done the most.
Teachers are not eligible for extra bonuses, high pay raises or stock options. They have a set salary and a set pension. We all make decisions in our lives. If you chose another field trying for an outrageous CEO salary and pension but fell short, your sour grapes are not the fault of the person who chose a sure but steady path.
If the 401(k)s kept rising, all the whiny naysayers of today would be laughing at the poor teachers who only have their pensions. Instead the teachers came out on top and all the Herald can do is to start a hate campaign against them.
Charlotte O'Donnell
Mount Prospect