The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:

Overhaul our tax code
I noticed that after Newt Gingrich released his 2010 tax return there was little banter on the left about him being a rich guy not paying his fair share. The reason is because the dollar amount he paid in income taxes is so shocking. Obama and left-wing politicians like him love to throw around tax rate percentages without putting a dollar figure to what their suggested higher rates mean for people paying the bill. Gingrich paid $995,000 on income of $3.1 million, or about a 32 percent tax rate. That doesn't include his Social Security and Medicare tax, nor a state income tax, which would amount to another $155,000 if he lived in the great state of Illinois. Of course, every ordinary person would dream about earning $3.1 million. But, how would you like to cut a check to the government for $1 million and then be vilified by the president because you still aren't doing enough to pay for his social welfare programs? We'll have a clear choice in November, between a president who wants to spend more and offers the false hope of prosperity because he'll confiscate another $100 billion from the rich or men like Gingrich and Romney who understand that growing our economy requires us to overhaul our dopey tax code.

It never happened
Remember when teachers, public employees, planned parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half our 401(k)s, took trillions in taxpayer-funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes? Yeah, me neither ... pass it on.

The Hitmen experience
I read about the Chicago Hitmen hockey team in the Chronicle, and last Sunday I took my son and grandson to the 2:30 game at the ice rink on Kirk Road. I have to say, though, it's no wonder they're having trouble staying there. First of all, the 2:30 game didn't start until 3:30 because of another game going on. And then we had to wait for them to put up the tables that they sell their goods and tickets on. Then I was asked what seating I wanted, and I bought the $9 good seats, but I could have bought the $7 seats and sat anywhere we wanted because there was no one checking tickets when we went in. We did get our hand stamped and did go to the concessions, but nobody checked us as we went back in, so maybe some people didn't pay anything. The announcer, he talked so fast you couldn't understand him. And I know they didn't sell enough tickets that day to even pay the officials. Don't get me wrong, though, it was a great time, and those kids really know how to skate. I'll probably go back again, but most of their games are at 7:40 or 7:50 at night, if they start on time. But the 2:30 Sunday game is a nice time to go. By the way, they did win, 5-2.

Poor conditions
I must comment on the exterior living conditions in the Davis School neighborhood. After living in the Davis School neighborhood for over 10 years, we made a business decision to move to Arizona. Recently, we were invited back for a neighborhood get-together. Appalling is the only word to describe what has happened to the Davis School area. It looks like a low-income melting pot of houses. I can't imagine how the property values have gone down. Insulting to say the least.

Politicians and tax bills
It's interesting to see how conscientious some of our politicians are about paying their tax bills on time. With people like this in government, it is easy to see the problem in Illinois government. Some of us plan for our tax bill by establishing savings or escrow accounts. Apparently, they can't figure that out.

• 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.

The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:

You have to pay for it
I am calling regarding a Sound Off from last week titled, "Without teachers, how do you learn?" I am not disputing what the caller said, until his or her last line, "take your kids out of school, homeschool them, and that's the end of it. You don't have to pay for it." That statement is incorrect. As a homeschooler, I still have to pay property taxes, including the school's huge chunk, even though my children do not attend public schools. Like folks without children in school, I am paying for something I am not using, which is a choice I have made. It's also another reason why I'd like schools to be more fiscally responsible.

It's not free
I'm responding to, "Without teachers, how do you learn?" It is true, teachers do teach us to read and write and to learn everything else. And, yes, we wouldn't have doctors or those in other professions without teachers. But what I am saying is that not all of the teachers are very bright. I've had a lot of teachers in my lifetime – I'm a baby boomer, thank God I am not in school now – because what we learned, and the teachers we had at that time, wasn't the greatest. And this person says also take your kids out of school or homeschool them, you don't have to pay for them. Yes, you do. It's called real-estate taxes. It's called paying for the school districts. So whether you homeschool your kids or send them to school, it's the same difference. You are paying. And also, for the ones who don't have any kids, we are paying more. There is a difference.

An insignificant salamander
Has anybody ever looked up in the dictionary, the definition of newt? As it reads, it says insignificant salamander. I think it fits.

Playing pool, thanking God
In regards to this Tim Tebow business, I see nothing wrong with an athlete dropping to his knees, thanking God, after scoring touchdowns. I do the same thing myself every time I execute a tough shot while playing pool. I trust this parody gets the point across without having to define frivolous.

Exactly what we deserve
As a concerned independent voter, I feel we could use some improvement in the White House. However, I find very disturbing the Republicans' narrow-minded and dangerous strategy for accomplishing this goal. They seem intent on nominating a candidate whose primary qualification is hopefully to beat Obama. Desirable qualities, such as governing skills, integrity, moral character and leadership abilities, seem to be obscure factors in this selection process. Unfortunately, this will probably lead to one of those elections where you hear the lame excuse of voting for the lesser of these incompetent candidates, in which case, we will get exactly what we deserve.

Good luck, President Obama
Listening to Obama's speech last night, I wish all he wanted for the American people to come true. But the rich politicians don't want to go with his ideas. They are afraid of giving some of their money where it is needed ... good luck.

Missing cane
To the person who took a handicapped lady's cane, shame on you. I shopped at Michaels on Randall Road last Saturday. I had two large bags, so I put them in my shopping cart and went out to my car. It was dark out. I put the bags in my car, moved the cart out of the way and left. When I got home and needed my cane, I realized that I had left it in Michaels shopping cart. I drove back to the store immediately. My cane was not in the cart. I asked in the store and I called again this morning. No one had turned it in. For a long time, I used a plain brown cane. My daughter bought me a pretty one with purple and turquoise design. I need it, and it was special to me.

Thank you, Doug Johnson
I just wanted to say congratulations to Doug Johnson, the regional superintendent of Kane County, on his retirement. Thank you for your many, many years of service and dedication to education. Good luck with your health and your family.

• 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.

The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:

Political mudslinging
The ground is frozen, but the political mudslinging has already started, and this is just in Kane County. Wait until the national and state elections start to heat up. The Democratic party has accused one of its county candidates with not being Democratic enough. Define what is Democratic enough. A Republican claims that someone who is not running for re-election, or any county office, has used pay for play. Also, the issue of transparency – it was held in a closed-door news conference. It would be an excellent idea if the political candidates started to talk about why they are running for the office and what they will do if elected. Kane County should not be the place where all the potential elected officials start in the gutter because it is very hard to get up from the trash that is deposited on the curb.

Pay to play
Showing the long line of inside connections in Kane County is not character assassination, Ms. McConnaughay. The chairman's office in Kane County should not be an example of pay-to-play politics. Lauzen gave examples. The checks just had your name on it.

When is it the government's turn?
Thank you to the Chronicle for its informative article on the debate among candidates for Kane County Board chairman. I appreciate your help in becoming an informed voter. I am now 100 percent sure about who I'm voting for, and it's not candidates who want to continue taxing and spending. My family's income has drastically dropped over the last few years, yet our property taxes remain exorbitant. Mrs. Klinkhamer's comment, we're all going to have to take our share of the burden, rankles me. Some of us have cut our budgets until we can't cut anymore. When is it the government's turn?

Without teachers, how do you learn?
If we didn't have teachers, you wouldn't have doctors. You wouldn't have lawyers. You wouldn't have medical technology. You wouldn't know anything about the atom. You wouldn't know anything about anything. Without teachers, how do you learn? People who start trashing those teachers, why don't you try to come up with an idea of what to do without teachers. You think teachers are paid a lot? Look at the doctors and the lawyers that they raised, basically. Without teachers, you can't read. Without teachers you don't add, you don't subtract, you don't multiply, you don't divide. You want to get rid of the teachers who are making a lot of money and bring the cheaper teachers in? Go ahead and do that and see the quality of education. You think teachers are in it for the money? You're absolutely wrong. They're in it for the love and being able to work with children. You try to work with a child. You see how it is. As an experienced elementary teacher, I was with those kids more than they were with their parents sometimes. They would even call me mom at times because they didn't even see their moms as often as they see me. If you want to keep bashing teachers, fine. Take your kids out of school, home-school them, and that's the end of it. You don't have to pay for it.

Reality check for teachers
I really hope that local teachers and school board members, especially in Geneva, read the Chronicle front-page story about several area churches providing free dinners monthly for those who need help stretching their food budgets and how more churches are looking into doing so because there is such a need. They need to realize that many people in this area are not as well off as they assume, or as well off as they are themselves. The economy has hit hard here, too, with people losing their jobs and benefits, stagnant wages, furlough days, little to no interest on savings and, in many instances, new jobs that don't pay nearly what they had before. As organizers said, unemployment is real, folks are hungry. There are those whose lives are no longer affluent. And yet teachers and board members still don't feel the need to freeze wages, adjust insurance plans to have higher premiums and higher deductibles like the rest of us, and reduce subsidies to pension plans. Why are taxpayers supposed to make sacrifices so that teachers can maintain their lifestyle, while ours decrease? These free dinners are well-attended, and many of the attendees go to all of the meals offered, which should tell you something about their situation. I see people at the food pantries who never would have thought they would need to be there, yet there they are. We had to cash in one of our retirement CDs in order to pay our property taxes this year, because of the increase from the school board. Who would have thought when property values took a dive, that school districts wouldn't care and would still increase their budgets so that we would have to pay more on a lower assessment? I with the teachers union and the school board would quit stabbing taxpayers in the back, just to pacify teachers. If teachers don't like what's offered, they are free to go elsewhere. Maybe they should try the private sector and see what it's like to work in the real world. There are plenty of unemployed teachers out there who would be happy to have their job.

Pray for Tebow
In reference to "God and touchdowns," I thought we were supposed to have freedom of expression, and further, Tim Tebow is not creating all of the hype. It's the mainstream media. The media insists on making him a pop-culture figure because of his faith. People like you would rather attack religion as a diversion to other more important issues going on in the world. If an athlete, student or anyone else in the workplace has the urge to stop and thank the big guy upstairs, they have this right. If it bothers you that much, you need to turn off your tube and/or walk away. And finally, with all due respect, I suggest you read the recent column by ESPN writer Rick Reilly, dated Jan. 13, 2012. Rick candidly points out what Tim Tebow does off the field, and it has nothing to do with "contrived, attention-seeking displays of athleticism," but rather how he helps people who are suffering, dying or injured. These are issues that are important to him. And for that, we thank him for his kindness. Actually, strike that. Instead of thanking him, I will drop to my knees and pray for him to continue his good work.

The day is coming
This call is in response to Granlund's editorial cartoon of Tebow, Saturday the 14th, and the Sound Off comment, "God and touchdowns." The Lord calls all Christ followers to offer Him internal and external Thanksgiving, for what He allows and brings into His children's lives. The day is coming when every knee will bow. Isaiah 45:23 and Philippians 2:10, found in the Holy Bible.

Support local businesses
The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles – we went to see a concert there the other night. The venue was so reasonable, it just shocked me how reasonable. The theater was wonderfully restored. The MC/owner made you feel like you were visiting his home at a wonderful party where everybody shared the atmosphere. The show and the entertainment that he's bringing there is so much fun and unique. I appreciate the diversity of the events. And the other place I wanted to mention was a new Italian restaurant in Batavia, kitty corner from the Batavia government building. Everybody there is so friendly, and they have decorated it so beautifully. The food is absolutely outstanding, and the value for what you get for the dinner is phenomenal. In this economy, we have to support local businesses that provide special times. I hope that everybody looks at the Arcada Theatre and goes to this new restaurant in Batavia.

Spoiled brats
I'm responding to, "Do the right thing," about the Kaneland school system. I live in St. Charles, and I can't see how we are paying for the iPads for the students. Let the parents be responsible for that. How much are you going to keep taxing us for other people's children? If those mothers with the SUVs can stand on the corner and talk to other mothers while they wait for the bus with their kids, they can take the kids to school themselves. I mean, what's going on here? I mean, parents, be responsible for your children. Get what they need. They don't need everything. That's why there are spoiled brats in schools, with the teachers dealing with it.

Too many guns
With everybody able to get guns and have them any time they want them, we wonder why there are so many killings. We have the National Rifle Association and our congressmen to thank for that.

• 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.

The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:

God and touchdowns

It should be pointed out the cult of demonstrative Christian pro athletes that touchdowns and home runs are not the result of divine interventions and do not require visual communications with the deity.

 At times, I feel as though I am watching a revival meeting rather than a sporting event.

These individuals should also be aware that they work in the toy department of life and are well-paid for donning costumes and playing games for entertainment purposes.

It’s not like they’re involved in warfare or battling hunger or disease.

I suggest that they spare us the contrived attention-seeking displays and seriously consider rearranging their priorities. By the way, strikeouts and fumbles are also not the result of demonic intervention.

Do the right thing

I’m glad to read Jan. 7’s paper and articles regarding the Kaneland school system. Unlike Geneva and St. Charles, they are trying to tighten their belt to make the budget work, vs. Geneva and St. Charles, who, by reading the paper, are trying to tax the citizens for frivolous things like iPads and computers and new buses, which are two years old ...

Again, I congratulate Kaneland for trying to do the right thing within their means and not trying to take it out on everyone around them, unlike Geneva and St. Charles.

 I hope everybody reads this, and hopefully somebody does something about it.

Teachers aren’t worth the benefits

To the caller of “Poor sap taxpayers,” Dec. 24, you asked why anyone would want to quit such a cushy job. The answer is quite obvious.

Their pension pays just as much or almost as much as when they were actually working.

I’m surprised that, with all the protesting going on in the world, that there hasn’t been a movement against the outrageous spending of taxpayers’ dollars on pensions for public employees, especially teachers. If teachers had to work in the real world at a real job, they wouldn’t survive.

You get the feeling that they feel that they are so above everyone else and deserve special treatment. In all my 80 years, speaking as a former substitute teacher, I haven’t known one teacher who is worth all the benefits and the hoopla that teachers are given.

That teacher of only 33 years will get a pension for the rest of her life, compliments of the poor sap taxpayers. You’re darn right, it’s a ripoff.

Unanswered questions

I think it’s time all politicians answer five questions an average person like me would ask. I bet dollars to doughnuts they would never be able to give a logical answer, if one at all.
1. If minimum wage is determined to be enough to live on, why is base salary for members of the Senate and House $174,000 a year?
2. Do they really believe it to be fair that the average person can be fired on the spot for doing a job poorly, while they have to be voted out of theirs?
3. Considering the state of this country, and their lack of turning it around, do any members of Congress really think they deserve a recess (vacation) at any point in time?
4. Do they really expect the public to have any kind of respect for them when they show none for us?
5. Why do politicians spend millions of dollars for jobs that pay only thousands?

I know I’m not the only person with questions like these, but I would love to be on national television to ask these questions to all the jokes who are eyeing the White House.

I don’t think they could answer any questions along these lines if their lives depended on it.

Buildings too tall

I could understand why there is concern and controversy about the rental apartments vs. condos on the First Street developments in St. Charles.

But could someone please explain to me why no one is complaining that the building that they are planning to put up will be five stories tall?

That’s a story taller than any other building downtown and will totally dwarf any view of the river.

Who is going to take the blame when this goes up and everyone sees how tall this building really is?

There was great talk that we would have a river walk like Naperville.

But it’s obvious that no one who voted on this plan ever walked Naperville’s river walk, where you can actually experience the river.

How to plow snow

I’ve been involved in plowing snow for over 30 years for county and townships, and believe that the best way is to treat your salt and to get out there and put it on the road with items like calcium chloride.

This pre-treating is a waste of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars, and whoever thought of using beet juice made a lot of money for nothing, because it still is no good below 20 degrees and you have to mix it with salt, brine and calcium chloride.

So why not go back to the way it used to be, go out and – when it starts snowing – put some salt out on the roads.

This pre-treating is not going to work.

It’s ridiculous, and it’s not going to work.

Please adopt pets

I’d like to share with you an experience that I had at the Kane County Animal Control. I went there in the fall to pick out a kitten, and I was amazed at how many kittens they had in the kitten room.

I found a beautiful little female, and it had been fully vetted.

I was really surprised by how much work they had put into her.

 I took her home, and it turned out that she had an intestinal parasite, and I had kept her separate from the animals that I had at home.

 I took her back there to see if they’d be willing to help me with that, and they did all the medications for her, a battery of six medications, they took full responsibility for it, and they are very nice people.

I was very pleased with my experience, and I would recommend it to other people. Please adopt.

• 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.