Maybe you should be fuming, too

In a recent Fence Post letter, Doris R. Aussin is “fuming” regarding what she considers an unfair Daily Herald article on teacher pensions. Hopefully this letter will widen the information base, as she requests.

Maybe taxpayers should be “fuming” at the school board in the district where Ms. Aussin taught, increasing her total pay (this is all public record from familytaxpayers.org) a total of 60 percent in her final four years, from $70,127 in 1999 to $112,475 in her 2003 year of retirement. Next time you see an article about a teacher or administrator retiring, take a peek at their final salary. Maybe you’ll be “fuming.”

Maybe taxpayers should be “fuming” that:

Ÿ In addition to paying into Social Security on their own behalf, to receive an average payment of $14,760 payable at age 66, maximum capped at $30,000, taxpayers also contribute to public employee pensions through line items on property tax bills toward the $45,000 teacher average, available at age 55, maximum unlimited.

Ÿ Ms. Aussin fails to mention that additional credentials result in “lane” increases that pay them back many times over.

Ÿ “Step” increases, are annual raises given for “years of experience,” that is, showing up each year for your guaranteed job.

Ÿ These seldom mentioned raises are in addition to “across the board” increases publicized when unions and the school board agree on a contract.

Ÿ Teachers threaten to strike when negotiations don’t go their way.

Ÿ Illinois teachers have the second highest pay in the country, but don’t rank in the Top Ten of educational performance metrics composed by the U.S. Department of Education.

Teachers work hard. So do a lot of other people. Maybe a lot of people should be “fuming.”

Ed Piotrowski

Hampshire