Taxpayers In Springfield Protest Pritzker’s New Middle Class Taxes

By on May 22, 2019   /   IL, Items of Interest  

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Springfield–Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA), and other taxpayer activists staged a protest in the Illinois State Capitol Building on May 21. The protest was held in opposition to the nearly endless demands for newer and higher taxes proposed by Gov. Jay Robert “J. B.” Pritzker and other tax thieves. 

Tobin, who spoke to the crowd at the protest, had harsh words for the current Illinois Governor. “Pritzker promised not to increase taxes on the middle class,” said Tobin. “He lied! Pritzker’s $2.4 Billion gasoline tax increase is a tax increase on the middle class.”

Pritzker has promised many new regressive taxes that will largely hurt the poor and middle class. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, some of the new taxes could be placed on ride-sharing, cable streaming, alcohol purchases, plastic bag usage, parking garage fees, cigarettes, electric vehicles, car registration fees and gasoline. These taxes are all regressive in nature, as they take up a larger share of an individual’s income compared to other taxes.

Of all the regressive and anti-middle class taxes being pushed however, the taxes for “road improvement” is the worst scam that Pritzker is pushing. As exposed in a Taxpayer Education Foundation study, a large part of the gasoline taxes collected in Illinois are funneled into the bloated bureaucracy that is Chicago government transit. This money is being stolen from non-Chicago taxpayers to fund lavish government employee pensions and subsidize an obsolete, 19th Century transit system. 

“The corpulent con man Pritzker is no savior of the middle class,” said Tobin. “He is determined to pillage the Illinois middle class to enrich the Chicago government class. This is irresponsible and legalized theft on a statewide scale.”

“That is why these grassroots protests are so important, now more than ever. We need to show Illinois government that Illinois taxpayers will resist new tax increases every step of the way.” 









  • Pictured: Ed Ford of Taxpayers for Action and and Jim Tobin.

  • Pictured: Jim Tobin and Ralyn Sue, a local activist.
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JAIL PRITZKER, FREE TAXPAYERS!

By on April 24, 2019   /   IL, Illinois, Items of Interest, Latest  

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Ill. Gov. Jay Robert  “J. B.” Pritzker, the corpulent con-man acting on behalf of Chicago’s Democrat political machine, could find himself sharing a jail cell with former Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich as a result of a federal criminal investigation into a dubious residential property tax appeal, according to WBEZ Chicago Public Radio.


It seems that Pritzker, his wife and his brother-in-law are under federal criminal investigation for a dubious residential property tax appeal. According to WBEZ, the probe, which has not been revealed publicly until now, began last October and remains active.


The billionaire Pritzker and his wife may face a serious legal threat arising from their controversial pursuit of a property tax break on a 126-year-old mansion they purchased next to their Gold Coast home.


According to the WBEZ report, a Cook County inspector general’s report found Pritzker directed workers to remove all toilets from the mansion in order to have it declared “uninhabitable,” which gave the Pritzkers a huge property tax break. The report also found that the governor’s brother-in-law, Thomas J. Muenster, made “false representations” on tax appeal documents. That amounted to a “scheme to defraud” taxpayers out of more than $331,000.


The Chicago Sun-Times published news of a confidential memo from Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard. The report found the Pritzkers had caused the residence they had purchased next to their home to fall into disrepair, in part, by removing its toilets in October 2015 in order to lower the home’s property taxes by having it declared “vacant and uninhabitable.”


On that basis, the Pritzkers’ lawyers persuaded then-Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios’ office to lower the home’s market value from more than $6.25 million to slightly less than $1.08 million. That ultimately led to a dramatically lower property tax bill for the mansion.


“It’s ironic that Pritzker allegedly planned to defraud taxpayers out of more than $331,000 for his benefit while he is pushing to change the state income tax to a graduated income tax,” said Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of Illinois (TUA). “Pritzker’s graduated income tax increase amendment would steal billions from the state’s most productive citizens to fund lavish, unnecessary government pensions.”


“This man has no conscience. The way things are going, he may end up in a residence provided by the state, and he won’t have to worry about property taxes.”

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TAX FREEDOM DAY AGAIN FALLS ON APRIL 16

By on April 11, 2019   /   IL, Illinois, Items of Interest, Latest  
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CHICAGO—The Washington-based nonpartisan Tax Foundation has released this year’s date for “Tax Freedom Day,” which is the same as last year: April 16.

“Tax Freedom Day is a significant date for taxpayers and lawmakers because it represents how long Americans as a whole have to work in order to pay the nation’s tax burden,” states the Tax Foundation.

“The Tax Foundation is a most valuable resource for taxpayers, tax-fighters, and elected officials,” said Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “We rely on the foundation’s high-quality research and impeccable reputation.”

“As defined by the foundation, Tax Freedom Day is the day when the nation as a whole has earned enough money to pay its total tax bill for the year. Tax Freedom Day takes all federal, state, and local taxes and divides them by the nation’s income.”

The report states that in 2019, Americans will pay $3.42 trillion in federal taxes and $1.86 trillion in state and local taxes, for a total tax bill of $5.29 trillion, or 29 percent of national income. This year, Tax Freedom Day falls on April 16, or 105 days into the year.

“Since 2002, federal expenses have surpassed federal revenues, with the budget deficit exceeding $1 trillion annually from 2009 to 2012. If we include this annual federal borrowing, which represents future taxes owed, Tax Freedom Day would occur on May 8, 22 days later,” according to the foundation.

“To illustrate just how much value these taxes are eating up, the report reveals that Americans will collectively spend more on taxes in 2019 than they will on food, clothing, and housing combined,” said Tobin.

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