Buck up, teachers

Is anyone else tired of hearing the school teachers cry about being laid off and all the cuts to the budget? They think that the answer to everything is to raise taxes so that they can enjoy all the perks of being a teacher.

To name a few, every year some school district is going on strike because they want their raises, they don't want to pay for their medical insurance, they don't want any cuts to classes, after school activities, certain programs, like dance, band, etc. ... I am sure you get the idea.

Did anyone read the story about Edward Towle? He was hired by Grayslake District 46 for their top finance job at a salary of $98,000 a year. However, he has been on paid leave with salary - $107,449 - since February 2009 by a Milwaukee school. I can't speak for all jobs, but every job I have had, when I quit or the company downsized there was no paid leave with salary.

Even when I take a medical leave of absence, I still am not paid my entire salary. If I'm lucky I can collect 40 to 60 percent if disability kicks in, but that's a fight to the death because insurance companies don't want to pay for anything. They take your premium and balk at paying for medical care.

Yes, unlike teachers whose medical premium is paid for by taxpayers, I pay my own premium - $800 a month. The teachers are crying because layoffs are happening to them. Wake up, layoffs are happening all over and the average Joe can't run to the taxpayers and demand they pay higher taxes so they can keep their job.

It's time to not only clean up our government, but also our school districts. Enough is enough. Stop raising my taxes. I do not have children and I pay $6,000 a year in property taxes for a 1,200-square-foot home. If that's not ridiculous I don't know what is. So to all school teachers, maybe if you would start carrying your own weight and stop crying about your layoffs you would look around and see that everyone in the world has dealt with some kind of setback and none of them have rallied to raise taxes to keep their job.

Helen Clark

Algonquin