Best way to balance the state budget

The governor should get together with the legislative leaders immediately and propose a cut in all state and municipal salaries by 25 percent -- and put a freeze on all salary increases for at least two years.

Let's face it, these workers have been given raises over the past 10 years that are well beyond those of the average workers in private industry.

Also, they have retirement plans that are so good they can only be described as outrageously unfair to the taxpayers.

When their current salaries and future pensions are taken into account, in nearly every case these workers have lifetime incomes over 50 percent more than people in the private sector with similar skills and responsibilities.

In many cases, their salaries alone are far in excess of what they would receive doing the same or similar work in the private sector.

A good example is the salaries of high school driving instructors. In the Northwest suburbs, their total lifetime income including pensions are five to 10 times more than what they would get in the private sector. This situation once existed in California, Missouri and many other states.

In California, Missouri and other states, they have eliminated driver training in schools, which not only saved salary money but had a bonus of providing some much-needed classrooms for every high school.

This out-of-control salary and pension situation got out of hand because of re-election donations of employee unions, allowing teachers and other groups to strike, reluctance by legislators to reduce their own benefits and a reluctance to get tough and hold the line on wage and benefit demands.

It is now time for the governor and the legislators to act responsibly.

Robert Kellstrom

Schaumburg