This is Lombard calling. I’m just curious. What's happening at the site where the Nicor office is, or was. It looks like a lot of construction but there's no sign saying what’s going on. If anybody knows, I’d sure like to find out.

Richard A. Caragol, public relations manager for Nicor Inc. responded that “Nicor Gas has a redevelopment project under way of its reporting center located at 90 N. Finley Road in Glen Ellyn.” A request for a more specific explanation has not yielded a response as of press time.—JAC

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Hi, Lombard. I just want to say that I am very grateful to Bona Pizza. They helped us out immensely at our Pleasant Lane party, and again, it’s great to have a giving business in this community.

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CORRECTION: The following SPEAK OUT from May 4 should have read: To the chamber of commerce, I want to say the 2011 Lombard community guide and business directory is very informative. It’s colorful and the photographs are great. I want to thank you for thinking of us in Lombard.

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Just calling to compliment the delicious meal we enjoyed at the Apollo grill at North Avenue and Grace Street.

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Lombard. To the person who questions teacher tenure and thinks it’s a job for life, it is not so. All it does is allow a teacher due process, but it still doesn’t stop a veteran teacher from being dismissed.

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I am a Lombard resident. This year every line item tax rate from all taxing bodies on my property tax bill increased quite significantly. The literature in my bill states that taxes are calculated by formulas set in state law. Since the overall tax rate goes up almost 1 percent each year, I’m just trying to figure out how long I might be able to still afford my house. There is nothing in state law that requires the formulas remain constant for a set period of time so we aren’t insanely taxed anymore than we already are. I wrote DuPage County to ask them what these bodies could raise their taxes rate to, and they told me they can raise them as high as 5 percent a year. Then they just told me to go attend the budget meetings of all my taxing bodies if I want to see the process—I work full time and do not have time for that. Doesn’t Illinois have any politicians who represent us who do this sort of thing? If not, we need some. We need a law stating that these rates can’t be raised unless the people represented by these tax-happy groups vote to approve this. I also talked to the township assessors office, in fact all they do for me is assess my property, which they don’t even do accurately anyway. If you live in an incorporated area you should not have to pay for this bureaucratic waste. People in unincorporated areas don’t pay village taxes for the village which zip code they use. I have contacted a number of state reps including that tax monster Gov. Quinn about this issue and I suggest people do the same. Illinois people— who actually pay property taxes anyway—are sick and tired.

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You young people, please be careful driving in shopping centers. Many of us elderly and those walking with canes and walkers cannot move as fast as you would like us to. Give us a break. Remember, some day you will be elderly. Remember; do unto us now as you will want those to do unto you later.

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Lombard here. It is that time of year when Lombardians open their doors and windows to let the spring air in and listen to the sounds of nature. It is also that time of year when those few thoughtless neighbors turn on their radios and stereos and turn up the volume. The Village of Lombard has a law that clearly states that no neighbor can play their music at a volume that can be heard by anyone else in their backyard or home. If you have a rude neighbor who disregards the right of everyone else to enjoy peace and quiet, call the Lombard police and file a complaint. The Lombard police are willing to help maintain the quality of life in Lombard for all to enjoy. Your call will help everyone else in your neighborhood.

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To the person who called, "I have been a teacher, and it was really, really easy," I say, you must not have taught the children. When I taught I pushed my desk in the corner and was on my feet the entire day, bending over a child, helping her form her letters, helping him line up his numbers, encouraging the children, using my lunch hour to put the afternoon work on the chalkboard, using the entire day to work. Really easy? No. Really rewarding? Really, really yes.

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My real estate tax went way up. How do they expect seniors who are on a fixed income to keep up their homes? Social Security is at a standstill; all of these teachers’ and other pensions keep going up.

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This is unincorporated Lombard calling, York Center. I have my assessment bill. If my house is valued at $411,000 and that’s what it’s worth, please send me the check and I will move out immediately.

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Hey, Lombard. Look at your tax bill; the great District 45 pension fund went from $77 to $84. High School District 88 pension fund went from $51 to $55. College of DuPage—what am I paying them for, I don’t go there? Look at your tax bill; the majority of our tax bill is for education. Education and it went up again. I think we should demand more of our school districts than what we’re getting.

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Hello, this is Lombard calling. I’m calling to address the person who said having your house not finished and living like a slob, and having garbage all over and unfinished construction is called American individualism. It’s called pride. Have some pride in where you live. You live in a community with other people. You don’t live in the backwoods by yourself where you can throw your garbage out the back door for week, who cares. Have some pride. Lombard pride. It’s been part of Lombard’s being forever. Have some pride in where you live—mow your lawn, clean up your house and finish construction.

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President Obama, I voted for hope and change. What the heck are you doing? It certainly isn’t hope and it certainly isn’t change. Fix something. Do something.

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In receiving my tax bill, Trustee Ware, you said the taxes would only go up $5 by voting in the increase. What you did not take into account is the library being a separate entity. I have a $200 new tax liability on my property tax to the library for last year. I hate to think what it will be this year, next year. That’s just wrong. What about pay per use services? A library should have books—they don’t need kids programs; let the park district do the park, the library do the studying, the schools do the teaching. Don’t cross everything. I am so livid that the library would charge me $200 for something I don’t care to use, with an antiquated system such as it has. Anything I need, I go right on the Internet and I’m an older guy, so if I do it, I’m sure the children do it, too. It’s just terrible.

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Why does the person who does the cartoons in the Lombardian always pick on Obama? One week it said $14 trillion for a kid? He inherited almost all of it, in fact all of it. How do these people call in and take up lines and lines in 60 seconds? Nobody can talk that fast. How do they do that?

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This is to the P.E. teacher who thinks I hate them. I used the P.E. teacher as an example because I think you’re overpaid. Spend a day with me and you’ll see that I don’t make enough money. I’m an educated individual. I have a master’s degree and I enjoy—absolutely enjoy—doing my job. I don’t care that I’m picking on a P.E. teacher because I think paying a P.E. teacher $125,000 a year is too much. I certainly could go back to school and become a P.E. teacher, but I enjoy what I’m doing. I’m glad you enjoy what you do, but let me tell you something; if I had your job and only worked nine months a year, and only worked seven hours a day, and had tenure and all the benefits you talk about, I’d be defending my P.E. teaching job. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, but I still think you make too much money and I’m as happy as a lark, and in good health, so I don’t hate anybody.

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I’m a senior in Lombard and I’ve lived in Lombard for over 50 years. We just got our tax bill and I completely don’t understand it at all. We get the senior exemption, the senior freeze and the residential exemption, and our tax bill went up over $800 this year, which is an 11 percent increase. My wife and I have been retired for six years and we’ve been fine up to this point, but we’re getting to the point where we can’t afford to stay in Lombard. It’s just very upsetting.

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This message is for the person who camped out in front of the Helen Plum Library book drop-off location, where the sign clearly says drop-off. The sign does not say sit there for as long as you want and make cell phone calls while you inconvenience the numerous people who were dropping books off. There were at least five or six people in the three minutes I was there who couldn’t drop books off because you were sitting there. It doesn’t say you can sit there forever. Maybe the Lombard Police Department should sit there and ticket people who think it’s a private parking spot, because it’s not.

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In the May 4 SPEAK OUT, people made inquiries about the bronze sculpture at the village hall. Mr. Hulseberg stated that its cost was $38,000, paid with TIF money from the downtown was put there until the project on St. Charles Road was complete. Mr. Hulseberg apparently is out of touch. The project where the sculpture will eventually go, however, was made under his watch and will remain another vacant lot for the next 10 years or more. We should ask how we can afford to buy a $38,000 sculpture that’s going to stand around for 10 years when we can’t get adequate funding for the Lombard Town Centre organization. We need change. Lombard needs to refocus. Let your trustees know your view because you’re paying for it, with the taxes that you constantly complain about.

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Hi, this is in response to the caller who used to be a teacher who says his or her job was really, really easy. I am a teacher and do not believe that I should make $100,000; however, I would love to know where you taught that it was so easy. Teachers nowadays are faced with large classes, with all different needs, lack of parental support, more standards than need to be covered and our days have not gotten any longer. I think you’re completely wrong with the fact that our jobs are easy. If you are a good teacher, your day doesn’t end when the bell rings. A good teacher would never say teaching was an easy job. You would always be improving to make your children higher-level thinkers and challenged. If it was such an easy job for you, why did you leave the field? Not rewarding enough?

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This is in response to that little tidbit about groups of DuPage residents forming a recall committee. I wish you would put information in the paper when the committee is going to meet and where it’s going to meet. Also, we could maybe discuss how we can try to cut taxes by doing something about the outrageous pension increases and the outrageous school increases.

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In response to the teacher who challenged us to spend a week with 25 children, I challenge you to deal with 25 customers like I do and they have the power to take food off my table. You can tell the kids to go sit down and be quiet and wait for you. I have to figure out a way to keep all my customers happy, even when they all want my attention at the same time. And, to the teacher who complained that he or she has to go home and grade papers at night, I feel your pain; just imagine the stress of sitting in front of the television grading papers. My heart breaks for you. And, just imagine what happens if you make a mistake. Oh, wait; nothing happens if you make a mistake. If I make a mistake I will at least lose a customer which means food off my table and I may very well get sued. The problem is you teachers have had it too good for too long. You pushed it too far and now you’re getting the backlash.

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This is Lombard calling. I’m an employer here in town, and as an employer, I can tell you there are a couple of things that really get me mad. One thing is when my employees start getting a little uppity. Most employers don’t like their employees getting in their face. Then, next thing is when the employees think they can’t be replaced and do the most important job in the world and are the smartest person in the world. As an employer you don’t like that either. Then, when your employees keep demanding more and more money of you and well, quite frankly, you get nothing back in return for their services. As an employer I’m sitting there and saying, no more to you teachers. You guys can be replaced for someone who will do it for half the price and probably do better.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling regarding the road work that was happening at St. Charles and Main Street, putting in the crosswalk. I’d like to say that my 11-year-old asked if there wasn’t a better way that the village could spend money than to putting bricks in for a crosswalk. I’d like to say I see a future in politics for my son.

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Lombard, you tick me off more and more every day with the wasteful spending. I can’t believe you bought a statue for $38,000 when our taxes are so out of control. We are being so overassessed it’s not even funny. This is disgusting.