Only teachers are recession-proof

I believe most of us will acknowledge that we are in a recession. People continue to lose their jobs, with unemployment in the double digits. People have lost their homes. People are finding it difficult to pay daily expenses, including having adequate food on the table.

Property taxes continue to soar despite the drop in property values. Yes, most people are feeling the effects of the recession, except of course, our teachers.

The teachers continue to receive their salary increases, while enjoying medical and pension benefits that most of us can only dream of. As an example, the teachers in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 received a 5.4 percent salary increase during 2009, with their average salary for 2009 being $92,811.

Based on their ranking within the state, District 211 teachers are being overpaid.

In the spirit of the approaching holidays perhaps these school teachers would graciously invite us for dinner, so we can enjoy some of the gourmet food that we are buying for them.

Also the school board members are going to have to realize that the faucet that once gushed with taxpayer dollars is now trickling at best. And did we really need all those football fields resurfaced?

Bill Sowinski

Schaumburg