No sympathy for teacher’s pension

I read with considerable amusement the story about the Naperville teacher who is worried about her retirement pension to the point of being nauseous and losing sleep. She says, “What is happening to us?”

Answer: The same problems that the private sector has dealt with over the past 20 years. The private sector has it even worse. Many lost their jobs, homes, health insurance. Property taxes continue to rise in DuPage County even though home prices have gone down by 25 to 40 percent over the last five years. I have no sympathy that your generous pensions and benefits may be in danger. I look at my property tax bill and see how many pensions I am supporting. It is truly nauseating.

The pensions funds were not underfunded, they were over-promised. Politicians made unsustainable promises to educators and government workers to get elected, re-elected. There is no way as a private citizen taxpayer I feel any obligation to live up to careless and silly promises.

The teacher should thank her lucky stars for all those 12 weeks of summer vacations, two week Christmas vacations and every holiday that the private sector never observed. That’s how most of the private sector feels about educators and government workers and irresponsible politicians who pandered for teachers’ votes.

Robert E. Melbye

Lisle