We’ve been going through our mailbox here at TUA. Our recent efforts to defeat property tax referendums succeeded two times out of three. In the process, Illinois taxpayers got to know TUA a little better than before. Without further ado, we present the good, the bad, and the ugly:

Thank you, and hello back to your Dad! Lonnie called me and came by yesterday with a box full of flyers. He said he had already saturated Riverside, so a friend and I delivered them throughout North Riverside until our legs gave out, (about three hours;) I estimate we passed out about 500 of them. A lot of people were outside because of the weather, and all were supportive. Everyone was stunned by the salary schedule. Only one guy came out and yelled at me; he said if it doesn’t pass, he’ll lose his job. I apologized and took back the shreds he made of the flyer. Three doors down I related the incident to a neighbor, who said, “#@!% him! Tell him to get out of our town!” People are really angry.

“I just wanted to shout out to you to congratulate you on a job well done on defeating the RBHS Referendum. Great job and you have done our community a great service in sending a signal to the RBHS schoolboard and the elected officials that enough is enough with tax increases. We are tired of subsidizing their poor spending habits and you took the first step to tell them so. Again, congrats and good luck in the future.”

“I’ve been living in Riverside since 1986 and voted Yes in every referendum that we had in the past. This time is different. I cannot believe that in tough economic times people have audacity to ask for more money. Do not believe that more money will make our education better or cause decrease in our property value. Our property value is down as it is and will go down even further once prospective buyer see how much we pay for property taxes. As it goes for the teachers, higher salary doesn’t make them better teachers. I know of some that are in the $100,000.00 salary bracket and they are mediocre educators. I hope residents or R-B district wake up and smell the coffee. Vote NO on Tuesday, April 5.”

“Thanks for your work in defeating the RB Property Tax Increase Referendum last week. I am sending NTUI my check for $264.00 since I will not have to pay the $264 to RB teachers and administrators.”

“Thank you so much for publicizing this outrageous scheme against hard-working taxpayers! Keep up the good work”

“I currently am a student at D158′s high school, Huntley High, and I attended this school at the time of the strike as well. I actually do agree with some of the claims this article makes, I do believe these teachers are overpaid… One teacher in particular during the time of the raise was already a multi-millionaire and only taught to occupy time, but was still getting paid a $90K salary… one of his lessons was to take the students out to the parking lot and give them their daily points for admiring his $90K Porsche sports car. Does that seem like a great way to utilize our tax money? Hiring teachers that gloat about their money and still have the nerve to demand more?”

“So what?!?! I have earned my pension,you whiners are just jealous.Go get your teaching degree and deal with those obnoxious brats all day for 30 years!!!!!”

“Great write up thank you for exposing the overly paid salaries that the taxpayer will NOT be able to sustain in the future.I for one hope that the general public wakes up to the fact that this school’s costs are unsustainable and votes NO so that I am not forced to relocate to another state.”

“Not sure what the point of your article was. Seems like if I was going to look for work in your state any fool would choose the public sector. However, it appears only fools end up in the private sector for wanting jobs that can’t retain employees. It would make sense public sector would attract the best and brightest. The lesser lights remaining would have to settle for private sector jobs and eat crow I suppose.”

“Mr. Tobin, thank you to you and your great researchers for exposing how our dollars are being wasted.”

“Great work! Keep it up!”

“Amazing. Bravo. Encore. Job well @#$% done. Don’t let up on this one.”

“I commend all your efforts and hope more people get involved.”

“THIS IS DIRECTED TO YOU !!!!JIM TOBIN!!!
YOU ARE THE STUPIDEST PERSON I HAVE SEEN ON
TV LATLY!!!!!!!!
JIM TOBIN YOU MUST HAVE BEEN LIVING IN A CAVE
I DO NOT WANT TO LOOK BACK, I AM LOOKING
FORWARD MR
JIM TOBIN
SO GET OFF YOUR GD HIGH HORSE AND TRY TO HELP
US IN THIS COMPLETLY BROKEN [more ways than one] STATE OF IL. FIX THE DEFICITE, GET THE
CHICAGO MOB OUT OF POLITICS [you might be one]TAKE LEADERSHIP AND DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE, HELP GET US OUT THE MESS YOU AND THE CROOKED POLICITIANS HAVE PUT US IN.”

Yep! There’s never a dull moment here at Taxpayers United of America. We’ll keep trucking on and fighting the good fight, and as always we’re happy to hear from you!