The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:
Teachers, go ahead and quit
I'm responding to "Teachers are overpaid." I have a question: Why are teachers in a union? I can't see that. I can see the labor. I can see the city. But I cannot see the teachers being in a union. And, yes, teachers are overpaid. Most are in for the salary. They are in for the insurance. And most are in for the time off they get. The rest of us are either laid off or took early retirement. In no way will we ever see that kind of salary in their lifetime. Teachers, if you are fed up, quit.
Administrator salaries are the problem
By now, all the Kane County people have gotten their tax assessment bill. As a resident of Batavia, I'm disgusted with the fact that my taxes went up 13 percent, but yet the value of my house, according to the assessor, has gone down 4 percent. The math doesn't make sense. Why is it they don't have to cut their expenditures, but yet continue to tax people out of existence? It's wrong. As far as the Batavia School Board of Education is concerned, take a look at what the administrators are being paid. These administrators get bonuses and annuities. That should be published. People should know what these administrators are making. The teachers work hard, long hours, with difficult kids and unsupportive parents, and they are held to be accountable for these kids' learning. The teachers do their job.
Too many administrators
I would like to know why in our school district, more district administrators have been hired for the past year and more teaching assistants and teachers have been forced to be cut by our current superintendent.
The answer: Social Security
I have a good suggestion for the pension problem that the state is showing and the country is showing. Why not have all of the state and federal representatives, senators and employees, and that includes the police and the feds and the teachers and the nurses, everyone else, into the Social Security system. That way, everybody in the country is on an equal basis, and nobody is going to get left out of anything.
Get rid of the guns
I've been very disappointed. About four weeks ago, I called in something that I thought is very important and I've seen all kinds of things that are not important in Sound Off. I am still concerned about the guns. I don't know why they don't do something about it. Every morning, when I get up and listen to the news, there have been more and more killings, Every morning, everywhere. Get rid of the ... guns. I don't know why we have to put up with that. You have other things in the paper that people call in about that are not important, and this is the most important thing. Get rid of the ... guns, one way or another.
Celebrate Mr. McIlvaine
Why does St. Charles, over the years, continue to harass Mr. McIlvaine? It almost seems personal. If his place was derelict, I could understand, but it is not. Years ago, he planted the bushes that hide the seemingly endless construction from sight. He and his home-in-progress are certainly not the usual St. Charles conservative entities. However, instead of harassing the man, perhaps we should celebrate having this citizen's self-expression in our midst.
This is so politics
This is so politics, both at the federal and state level. The Illinois House passed a gambling bill that still must be voted on in the Illinois Senate without changes and signed by a reluctant governor. The House Democrats are already talking about how this bill relieves the pressure to work on pension and Medicaid reform because of the increase in tax revenue from the gaming. It will be several years before any new gambling money is received in Springfield, and it will only decrease the current gambling casino revenue. But that will not stop the Illinois Democrats from spending more money than at the current level and they will spend more money based on future way-out revenue.
Family fun
I was just calling to say Under the Big Top in St. Charles was a great family fun place to go. And go-karts for adults are wonderful. Give it a try. It's in St. Charles, off of Dean Street.
• You can sound off, as well, by calling our Sound Off line at 630-845-5240 or by sending an e-mail to soundoff@kcchronicle.com. Calls must be limited to 1 minute or less.
