Stupid kool aid drunks. Do you mean the same war that all of the Democrats voted for too until THEY decided to use it for political advantage? Hey smart pension guy, do you know what a Bill is? Did you forget that the last two years were solely spending by a Democratic Congress? Since the Democrats took over Congress, Federal spending has matched what the government budget has spent in sum total over the past 100 years or more? By the way, you were not there. I did not see any idiots at the Naperville party! And if you were, you would know no one tried to hijack it into an anti Obama rally. One of the reasons why the tea parties occurred because the people present came there to protest spending by Obama and most of us do not like Obama to begin with.

Anonymous,

Not true Anonymous. I protested the billions spent on W's bogus war in Iraq.

I was also at the Naperville Tea Party.

I condemn George Bush for all his policies and waste of taxpayer money.

I was protesting my high taxes which were a result of the Bush Administration.

Obama's tax changes have not even kicked in yet so it is still ALL Bush's fault and most of us were protesting and blaming Bush.

A few Republicans tried to hijack the demonstration and make it anti-Obama and to some extent they succeeded. Nothing you can really do when you have multi organizers involved.

In the end we just wanted bodies who were willing to protest high taxes against anyone.

I hope this clears up some confusion about the demonstration.

BUSH SUCKS. How is that from an organizer of the Tea Party Protest!!!

wait until the bill comes due for these trillions in deficit spending. we are protesting about that!
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Funny how none of the Teabaggers protested the billions spent on "W's" bogus war in Iraq.

thought the tea party on the 15th would have been the subject of a topic in and of itself on the blog. wonder why not? time for some fresh topics. loved the media coverage of the event, especially the cnn reporter in chicago interviewing the man with the 2yr old on his shoulder at the federal plaza protest. she actually engages him with an argument then lectures him about how illinois is receiving $58b in stimulus money and all of the federal programs HE is eligible for. she forgot who owns the pocket the $58bil came from. and that tax cut that gives me an extra $13 in my pay check? forget about it. wait until the bill comes due for these trillions in deficit spending. we are protesting about that! $13 tax cut; WTF? also who could not wonder what kind of anrgy, ugly jeanneane garafalo is with her tirade that we tea party goers are racist rednecks that cannot accept a black man as president. is this what happens to washed up comics and failed radio commentators? they just become scary angry?

We always lived well within our means. Could have bought a house in White Eagle or Stonebridge, chose Oakhurst instead. I could be driving a Mercedes, but I drive a Toyota van. My husband does drive a small BMW, but he bought it used. We've had both of them since 2001. Neither kid has a car, they use mine if they need one. Both have jobs that are close to home and will drive each other to work and pick each other up if necessary too.

I worked full-time as a teacher for many years, went part-time and then resigned when my kids were in high school. We lived off of my husband's salary when I was working and squirreled mine away. We bow have two in college, one in Champaign and one at a private school in Chicago. We are paying out of pocket for both (although the one in Chicago did get a partial academic scholarship.)

When we first got married, my husband was still in college. I was a beginning teacher with a salary of 14,000/year at the time. We managed fine on that. That probably formed the basis for how we lived once he graduated and started his career. We understood the difference between needs and wants. We do live in a nice house now, but I know people who had similar incomes that bought much larger homes. The home we have has the space we needed while the kids were in high school and was walking distance from the school too. We wanted the right amount of space so that they and their friends would hang out here often, with parental supervision. They still hang out here when they are home from college.

Are we cutting back now? Nope. We saved enough that we can afford to send two kids to college, go out to eat once (sometimes twice) a week, and allow me to volunteer for a few different organizations instead of working. My husband and I have been able to take a couple of trips together too. We knew all along that things would not necessarily be as rosy financially as they were for years, and we planned accordingly. Even if my husband got laid off at this time, we would be fine for a few years and still have retirement money available at that point.

So I have a lot of sympathy for those who did or do not have the income possibilities available and have always been scraping by. To you, I hope things atart to look up for you and things become easier. But for those who have similar incomes to what we had and now complain, you should have thought ahead and saved for a rainy day. You probably didn't need the 4000 or 5000 square foot house or the Hummer. You could have been fine with something smaller and less expensive.

BFCP,

If it's hard to survive it's because you are trying to maintain too high of a standard of living. If the funds are gone, then you have to shed what you can not maintain anymore. There is no other way about it. Yes, it sucks. Yes, it seems like the end of the world, but it's not. You either find other funding (job) or you shed your expenses. People cling to many things with the belief that they can not give them up or they simply refuse to and then cry victim. If you can not afford the mortgage payment any more, then for your own good, you should not be in the house any more. If someone was able to work a job at Caterpillar then they certainly can work a job at the places that have a Help Wanted sign up in their window. Some money coming in is better than NO money coming in. Yes, there are places out there looking for people to work. Will it be what you just got laid off from? More than likely not, but it's work and it's income. Your lifestyle has to change accordingly. Here is the help: Great Escapes had a help wanted sign on their door the last time I was there.

OJ,
You sound like a man who once struggled and now has made it to retirement and prosperity. Good for you, OJ.

I was reading in the Sun-Times that 1 in 11 people have already lost their jobs. Soon it will be 1 in 10.

No matter how cushioned these people were, it is very hard for them to survive in these times. Every month another 600k are being laid off so the prospect of finding a job are slim to none for the foreseeable future.

All I am saying is Govt. needs to make it easier on these folks by not being wasteful. If you had lost your job(s) when your were 20 something, you would be struggling just like these folks.

I think you are being arrogant and insensitive to the misfortunes of others. A caterpillar employee who got laid off can not be expected to have prevented the WORLD ECONOMY from collapsing. He is a victim. He needs our sympathy, support and help.

BFCP,

My mom had to add two cans of water to the campbell's soup so there was enough for everyone to have something for dinner. Been there, done that. None of us can control what a stupid city, county, state or federal government is going to do. You plan for the worst and hope for the best. That means not just living on the shy line of your means but living WELL WITHIN your means, wherever that lands you. If it means you can't live in X place, then that's what it means. If it means you can not buy Y then you don't buy Y.

If the Dow falling 52% caused your woes, then you took on too much risk and couldn't afford to lose it all. Yes, that is your own fault. If your employer reduces wages by 10% then what have you done to fix their problem that caused them to need to do that in the first place? Are you under contract to stay there? You are responsible for not being able to afford your lifestyle with a cushion. This crisis did not sneak up overnight, it was almost a decade in the making, if not more. Sorry if you were not paying attention and were fixated on the many things that were too good to be true (such as stocks that go nowhere but UP, and housing prices that supposedly only went up as well).

If you got caught with your shorts down around your ankles, well, sorry. Just because you did doesn't mean everyone else has too. Even if the City of Naperville cut their waste, it sounds like people are still screwed for having their money tied up in RISKY INVESTMENTS with a downside. If you want something safe, go for the less glamourous money markets that pay a piddly amount in interest but you would still have at least your original value today, unlike the riskier crap that everyone tossed their life savings into (including their house) thinking it was a sure bet. ( too good to be true ). Back to the wage cut: If you are still capable of working, then you can either go get better or supplement it. And yes, I've done the 3 jobs before. It sucks and it is a hell of a motivator to go find one darn good one and to bust your behind to make sure it has stability and to contribute directly to the company's health.

The problem is people want something for nothing, then get all bent out of shape when they don't get it. Even my 4th grader knows better; I would expect you do too. Obviously, I was wrong. My bad.

OJ,

I have the ability to trade a few more stocks per day and become financially strong again pretty quickly. I am doing that.

Even though I used myself as an example which was a poor choice, I was thinking of the others who do not have easy way outs when Real Estate Taxes, sales tax and income taxes rise. Last year sales tax went up .25% and this new governor wants to raise state income tax from 3% to 4.5%. This all adds up OJ and can bring many people under water. Wait until the city decides it is time to fund the pension deficit which was -61.5 million last year and may be -100 million with the devastation and annihlation of the stock market. Half the town will be under water if we have to bring the pension funds for the police and fire back to zero. Why are you criticising the civilians for not making ends meet? Why not criticise city officials who ADMITTED they are 61.5 in the deficit because they give out more in retirement benefits than they took in. Let us face it they started the mess that trickled into the civilian sector who are now being held responsible to re-fund the 100 million deficit.

I know my friend at GM had a 7% pay cut this year and lost his bonus. He did not expect this to happen. Now he can not pay his real estate tax. He may have to dip into his 401k savings and pay a 10% penalty to pay the real estate tax bill that was 5.89% higher than last year. He could not get a home equity line of credit because banks are being stingy these days after being so loose. Plus his home declined 20% in value and banks don't like that.

As you know OJ, most American have not been savers historically. Americans traditionally have not saved compared to Chinese and Japanese. I guess it is a cultural thing. I will grant you that needs to change.

They are saving now. But the more they save the more the economy falters as the economy depends on spending. The more govt taxes you the more the economy falters as you will have less to spend.

You seem to forget OJ that at one time you were young and had two jobs or worked 12 hours days, 7 days a week, to make ends meet and get ahead. If this economic crisis hit when you were young and struggling, you may have been affected like the young people today.

You made it OJ. Congrads! But why be so cocky and not express concern for those who are less fortunate. You could have had a 10% cushion between earnings and spendings and suddenly the cushion disappeared. If real estate taxes go up 6% and your employer cuts your wages 7% and takes away your annual bonus, that cushion may be a -10% instead of a positive 10%. Is that really your or their fault? I have yet to meet a person who predicted the Dow Jones Industrial would decline 52%? Not one expert on CNBC predicted this decline and they have thousands on that show. Did you predict this 52% decline, OJ, and plan and budget for it? If you did, you are a genious. Even Warren Buffet lost half his money and he was considered the authority on the stock market...the most successful investor ever. It sounds like you are smarter than him since you planned for all unexpected contingencies. Why don't you apply to be the new head for Bershire Hathaway since WB is now 78 and would like to retire? They could use a guy like you who can forecast disasters and plan for them in advance.

You are basically blaming small people for this world economic crises that was caused by Wall Street types across the world.
That is unfair. You need to be more sensitive instead of cocky because you made it and someone else did not.

I strongly disagree with your statement

"your own woes are your own making or lack of planning."

I am personally responsible for the Dow falling 52%. I am personally responsible for employers reducing wages 10%. I am personally responsible that employers cancelled bonuses this year.
I am personally responsible for the .25% sales tax increase. I am personally responsible for the 50% increase that Gov. Quinn wants to impose. I am personally responsible for the 5.89% increase in my property bill despite my home value declining 20%. And finally I am personally responsible for the police and fire fighters wanting twice the pension retirement amounts their funds can afford to give them.

Common Joe, I am not God. I will not take responsibiliy for government waste, high taxes and BIG FAT UNEARNED CITY PENSIONS.

BFCP,

The only one 'forcing' you to live like you do is you. Yes, the pension system is really out of whack, but your own woes are your own making or lack of planning.

My point is proven. See above.

FOX News reported that ONLY 16% of Americans have a 401k. I think we have bigger fish to fry with the baby boomers (by the way, that was the demographic of the 100-200 people at the protest. Baby boomers.) No savings, no retirement, waiting for social security to kick in, hoping that the house you live in was going to be your golden ticket to retirement. UGGH.

Tired Of The Whining,

What good does it do to work extra, when all the extra money you make is going to city employees so they can retire at age 48-52 with 75% of their last and highest pay in the form of a taxpayer subsidized pension?

City Employees need to work till 66 before they retire just like civilians. Making us civilians work till 70 and taking second jobs so they can get their fat pensions after 30 years on the job is unfair and ridiculous.

You sound like a city employee who is entitled to one of these fat pensions.

You want me to be a fry cook and and do manual labor so you can retire at age 48....up my wazooo!!!!

You want me to take a second job so you can retire at age 48....up my wazooo again!!!

You want my kids to skip on their college education so you can retire at age 48....up my wazooo one more time!!!

It is time all these public subsidies to city employees like yourself come to an end. Enough is enough with your shenanigans and laziness. I am not working for you. If you want a God D@am pension at age 48, you go get a second job and stop asking us civilians to constantly susidize you.

How is one going to live within his/her means, when you city officials raise our real estate taxes despite the crumbling of the value of our homes so you can have your BIG FAT PENSIONS? How is one going to live within his means when you have city officials like Robert Marshall double dipping the taxpayer to the tune of $250,000 while working on a second pension for retirement? Only in Naperville can such craziness take place.

There were nearly 500 people protesting at City Hall on April 15. Call it whining if you want. We are calling it a Tea Party that will start a revolution. Business as usual will end soon. FAT PENSIONS will end soon. United Airlines was forced into bankruptcy and their union employees lost their fat pensions. GM will be filing bankruptcy and their union employees will soon lose their fat pensions. Naperville will also be filing bankruptcy one day and all the FAT PENSIONS will be gone. Bye-bye!!!

Big Fat City Pensions will get my Tax Refund-

How can you say that you can find yourself living above your means through no fault of your own? Everything you mention are choices YOU have made. If you are not making enough at your day job then get an extra part time job or two. If you cannot afford your current home due to taxes or a large mortgage then downsize to a trailer park in another town. And a college education is not a right, it is a privilege. A privilege that must be paid for. We still need fry cooks and manual laborers, neither of which requires a college education. So bring the kids home and put them to work.

So typical of liberals to not take any responsibility for THEIR actions. Stop whining and get working!

To Big Fat City Pensions will get my Tax Refund on April 16, 2009 3:49 PM,

Hot Dogs are not good for you.

Change businesses.

Original Joe,

It is hard to get better if you own a hot dog cart and the city will only allow the other hot dog cart owned by friends of the husband of Margo Ely to operate in a town of 143,000.

It is hard to get better in a monopoly when you are not given the opportunity.

No one is spreading misery. We are protecting our rights and those of others against powerful government officials who are attempting to monopolize to enrich their relatives.

Go to Saudi Arabia. You will find the royal kings and royal princes control all the money and wealth in that country. Everyone else is poor. One prince is so wealthy that he dropped 20 billion in AOL and Citibank shares and pretty much lost the money while his subjects suffer from poverty. I suppose it is their fault the kings and princes with all the power won't give them an opportunity in their own country. If they try to compete with the kings and the princes, the guillotine awaits them.

We can not allow the City of Naperville to begin to monopolize business and profits like Saudi Arabia. If you want to experiment with hot dog stands at least allow 5 to compete so we can have the survival of the fittest instead of the survival of Margo Ely husband's classmate or friend. This is cronyism if what Joe Naper is reporting has credence. No one is denying it so far.

If you like cronyism, Old Joe, why don't you move to Chicago and be Mayor Daley's buddy. BTW he is next to be taken down by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. He has got him under his radar now that Blagojevich graduated. Be careful what you wish for and try not to be caught in the net when it is finally laid out. Many sharks are caught in fish nets and die struggling to get out. It is best not to be netted in the first place, Old Joe.

Boo Fricken Hoo.

This is America. If you're not doing so hot then exercise your right to go get something better.

I'm so sick and tired of reading the attitude that "Since I'm suffering, so must everyone else".

Use your brain and get better for yourself instead of just trying to spread your misery.

I suugest Naperville residents set aside their refunds and when next years wage increases are given to the local teachers it won`t hurt as much. Wouldn`t it be nice if everyone got a 3 to 4 percent increase every year. Guaranteed pensions to boot, if the market goes to heck in a hand basket or not. I would like to see our public schools opened and staffed year round at current pay scales. The tax dollar should get its full value in services and public building use when being spent. Bring your favorite teacher or school board member a tea bag and remind them that tax dollars could be and should be used more efficiently.

We are paying bills and doing some updates on our home. I feel fortunate to be able to do so and I'm glad we're getting anything back. This economy is draining on so many people. My heart goes out to those who are seriously struggling.

Refund!!! chicken and beer all the way!!!

I am ready for a career change. I have dibs on a shine chair. I want a chair at each train station and one at Jefferson and Main. And since I will have three chairs, I will also create jobs in Naperville. In the summer I will have women, very very hot women in bikini's shining shoes at each of my shine chairs. The hot dog cart and shine chairs are but the first steps in making Naperville more cosmopolitan. And since the date and time of this posting is documented, anybody that thinks they can rip me off on this idea will be introduced to my attorney. Do you read me Huber?

To An Ice Cream Cart,
Do you feel the method of proving your point is to be condescending and insulting to those with opposing views? Have YOU ever taken a business course? I bet you would be very popular dealing with others with your attitude. Diplomacy can be your friend. Stay away from your kids' ice cream cart. All that hot air might not be good for their business.

After reading the rant By Big Fat City Pensions will get my Tax Refund on April 14, 2009 7:05 PM, I have come to the conclusion this is yet another in the long line of "Anonymous" imaginary friends. The Pension tirade is a dead giveaway. Too funny!

So, anyways, I put my refund in the bank, for now. Haven't decided what I will do with it as of yet. Maybe I will splurge and purchase that 60" TV I have had my eye on for a while, help stimulate the economy as they say.

Maybe I will buy an ice cream cart and put it in front of Cold Stone Creamery on Jackson Ave. I will have my kids run it in the summer to help with their tuition.

If the owner of Cold Stone comes yelling and screaming I will refer him to City Attorney Margo Ely. She gave me my rights....right!

While all you knuckleheads may think it a great idea, the owner of Cold Stone who pays rent through the roof for the rights to sell ice cream at his location will not think it is a good idea. He loses money in the winter months and needs every penny of summer business to make ends meet and make a small profit at the end of the year.

Free wheeling free rent carts competing with stationary high rent stores is not a good idea. More vacancies will develop in the downtown. Last I checked there were 5 on Jackson Ave. between Washington and Main. My kids could easily make Cold Stone the sixth vacancy on that short block if they sold good ice cream for half the price of Cold Stone.

Did any of you knuckleheads supporting carts to compete with store owners ever take a business course? Did any of you guys ever graduate from high school? Just asking???

Fred,

When your employer reduces your pay by 10% and real estate taxes rise by 6% and you have 3 kids in colleges who are not controling expenses any better than City Hall, even if you once lived within your means, you suddenly find yourself living above your means through no fault of your own.

Thank God we are all healthy or we would be homeless by now pitching a tent outside of the garage on Chicago Ave.

It sounds like you are a retired old man who has already paid off your mortgage and sent your kids to school when colleges were going for 3000 per year instead of 30,000 per year. Have a good day, my old friend. This is a new era. You can not relate when you are 80 something trying to blog with middle aged and younger people with real financial problems. We don't even take vacations to help make ends meet and live way below our means. But some things are uncontrollable and govt surely does not help with their BIG FAT PENSIONS stolen from taxpayer hard earned dollars.

By Big Fat City Pensions will get my Tax Refund on April 14, 2009 5:49 PM

My entire refund and a home equity loan will go to pay the increased real estate taxes by the City of Naperville so they can continue to enjoy their big fat pensions at my(our) expense.
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That is really sad, the fact you chose to live above your means that is.

Most of us can afford to live in Naperville, and have the means to weather a slight bump in the economy. Home equity loan to pay taxes..............priceless. ROFLMAO!!

Ha! I thought that was funny too! You better by a port-a-potty & a trash can to satisfy the whinners though.

My entire refund and a home equity loan will go to pay the increased real estate taxes by the City of Naperville so they can continue to enjoy their big fat pensions at my(our) expense.

Where is the Napergate Man when you need him to hold our City Officials accountable? These guys running City Hall our out of control.

Please join the Naperville Tea Pary in front of City Hall tomorrow at NOON to hold our city officials accountable. Over 200 tax protestors are expected. Let us see if we can make it 300 and send a louder message that we are fed up with our Real Estate Taxes increasing nearly 6% each and every year. Where does it all end?

Why not decrease pensions and increase the age of retirement from 51 to 66 instead of taxing the residents to death? Enough is enough!

Anonymous @10:59- -That was funny! We are using our (small) refund to help pay for property taxes. Easy come; Easy go.

I decided to buy a Hot Dog Cart!

WHAT refund? :|

I received a refund. Paid down some debt, saved some, used some for practical purposes (replaced failing water heater)and a little bit of treating (bought myself an iPod nano). Usually we go on a family vacation in the summer, but this year that won't be happening.

Refund. Combination of both. Sensible and treating, but treating where practical; IE: upgrading about-to-fail or failing appliances to more energy efficient models.