BJ of Frankfort, made my point when I defended teachers and their work. Just as I would not criticize the workday or week or lifetime of work for a truck driver, I do not feel that people like BJ should criticize or minimize the work of teachers. Also, when I said that no one seemed to care about teachers’ or other state workers’ pensions before 2008, I tried to point out that the average person did not even think about state worker pensions until some people in the private sector lost or saw their pensions diminished. Then they thought, if I am hurt, everyone else should be hurt also. School districts and their employees are required to contribute a set percentage, based on their employees wages, to the state retirement systems. So, increasing local taxes would not increase employees’ pensions. ... The times he stated are the minimum required by the state. I doubt if he could find a full-time teacher who works that minimum. Teachers’ pensions are for a minimum of 20 years teaching and turning age 55. Most teachers, starting in their early 20s, work far more then 20 years. I worked 37 years. Yes, my pension is for my life, as are most pensions, private or public. Illinois public employee pensions are guaranteed by the state constitution, and are considered a contract. By the way, teachers also pay property taxes. If you think teachers have it made, perhaps you should have chosen a different profession.

Paul, Tinley Park

Former President Barack Obama’s new official portrait looks as though his chair was stuck in the wall at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Jim, Palos Hills

What’s next? They want to tax us even higher on gasoline. They want to put transponders in cars and tax us per mile driven. It’s crazy and an invasion of privacy. Next, they’ll want to tax us for how much we wear on our tires and ticket us for sitting too close to the steering wheel. They want to put toll booths on the Stevenson and Eisenhower expressways. That will only make traffic more congested. They should get rid of toll booths and have overhead I-Pass and send the bill to drivers who go through. We made it years ago without toll booths and all these taxes. We can make it again if they’d quit spending so much.

I really hope people are thinking about the next election. We really need to focus on someone else than the governor. House Speaker Mike Madigan is the one that runs this state. He should have been replaced years ago. Pay attention people. Everyone has blamed the governors for the problems of this state.

Heather, Alsip