Civil servants deserve better for important jobs

Recently, a concerned citizen wrote to complain about paying for the pensions for civil servants with his property tax. He stated, "Why should I have to pay Huntley's retired firemen ... Huntley School District 158 ... Huntley's village pension fund...?" I must say I was appalled by these words. These individuals and their sacrifices are what make our communities so great.

Firefighters, police officers and teachers are the three most important jobs in the world. These individuals should be making their weight in gold each year. How much would you expect to earn if each day you were responsible for educating our children, oftentimes with less and less help from parents? How much is adequate compensation for someone who puts their life on the line and gets little or no thanks from the public at large? How much are we willing to pay the individuals who enter a burning building and rescue our children?

I am proud of you, sir, for providing your own pension fund. And I am sorry that the economic climate has taken that away from you. I, too, have been a victim of these times. However, these individuals should be rewarded for their hard work and sacrifice, not expected to sacrifice their hard work. I am ashamed that we will so quickly turn our back on those who have helped us grow and become the people we are today. These professions represent the best of us. And they deserve much more than we give them.

Richard L. Tracy III

Elgin