“PROPERTY TAX RELIEF” BIG LIE GETS NEW LIFE FROM CANDIDATE J. B. PRITZKER

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CHICAGO—J. B. Pritzker, the Democrat candidate for Illinois Governor, has resurrected the tired old lie that state tax increases will lead to “property tax relief,” according to Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).

“Jay Robert ‘J. B.’ Pritzker, the corpulent con-man who is a tool of Chicago machine boss Michael J. Madigan, pulled an old lie from the trash heap and is claiming that the two state income tax increases he plans to shove down the throats of Illinois taxpayers will result in property tax relief. It was a lie 85 years ago, and it’s still a lie,” said Tobin.

“In 1933, under the guise of ‘property tax relief,’ a ‘temporary’ state sales tax of 2 percent was established. We all know how temporary tax increases tend to be.”

“In 1969, property tax relief was promised when the personal state income tax was created at 2 ½ percent.”

“And in 1975, the start of the Illinois Lottery was supposed to provide property tax relief. How did that work out?”

“Not only does tax-raiser Pritzker, if elected, plan to increase the flat-rate state income tax, but in two years, he plans to place on the statewide ballot the Income Tax Increase Amendment, which would convert Illinois’ flat-rate income tax to a graduated income tax, which could end up with a top rate even higher than California’s. This would be a huge income tax increase for the middle class.”

“If Pritzker becomes governor, this would be the tipping point for Illinois. Illinois is virtually bankrupt now, and a graduated state income tax would send Illinois over the edge by forcing even more taxpayers to flee the state. For the fourth year in a row, Illinois has led the country in losing population.”

“This November may be the last chance for Illinois voters to keep the state from going under.”

 

Peoria Plush Pension Panic

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Peoria – Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today released its updated study on Peoria, Illinois government employee pensions, publishing the top 200 pensions for Peoria Illinois Municipal Retirement (IMRF) fund, the top 200 pensions of the Teachers’ Retirement Fund (TRS), and the top 200 pensions of State University Retirement System (SURS).

“Peoria is one of 20 cities in the USA that are still struggling with high foreclosure rates despite the robust national economic recovery,” stated Jim Tobin TUA’s president and former economist. “But the government hacks couldn’t care less about the people who fund their lavish salaries and pensions. When sluggish economic conditions are compounded by ever increasing property taxes you get a lot of foreclosures.”

“But the elected politicians worry only about securing votes and funding for their campaigns. They have no problem putting people out of their homes to deliver on the pension promises that keep them in office.”

  • Click here to see the top 200 Peoria TRS pensions
  • Click here to see the top 200 Peoria IMRF pensions
  • Click here to see the top 200 Peoria SURS pensions

“High taxes don’t scare gubernatorial candidate J. B. Pritzker out of increasing Illinois’ taxes. He openly supports an immediate income tax increase and will gladly help Illinois House Speaker, Michael J. Madigan usher in this assault on Peoria taxpayers.”

“Pritzker also supports the Income Tax Increase Amendment, which would change the current flat-rate state income tax to a graduated state income tax. He and his buddy Madigan plan on placing the amendment on the November 2020 statewide ballot.”

“If the amendment passes, you can expect the state’s middle class to be decimated. Here’s why: House Bill 3522, filed by state Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, would tax incomes between $7,500 and $15,000 at 5.84 percent. For incomes between $15,000 and $225,000, the rate would be 6.27 percent. And for incomes over $225,000, the rate would be 7.65 percent.”

“Illinois taxpayers would be defenseless. Some politicians are whispering about a maximum income tax rate as high as 9.85 percent,” added Tobin.

“The pension data speaks for itself. The average Peoria taxpayer’s Social Security pension is about $17,000 and is funded completely with private money from taxpayers and their employers. IMRF pensioners also collect Social Security on top of their very generous pensions so taxpayers are forced to shell out an additional 15% of the local government employee salaries.  IMRF pensions are funded by property taxes.”

“There are two government school employees in SD 150 whose current annual pensions exceed $200,000 each! Francis H. Hilton II gets $211,087. His lifetime payout is estimated at $4,809,075. Annette T. Smith rakes in $201,663 a year!”

“Of course, the Illinois Central College retiree, Thomas Thomas, tops our Peoria pensions at $218,517 this year. He will enjoy an estimated taxpayer funded lifetime payout of $4,838,752.”

“If Pritzker gets elected, he and Illinois tyrant Madigan will see to it that these lavish pensions are continued.  They bring in thousands of union and government employee votes. Taxes will increase at a devastating rate and more and more Illinoisans will leave the state, driving up the tax burden for those of us who stay.”

“It is just unreasonable to allow people to retire in their 50’s and early 60’s and expect taxpayers to foot the bill, but if Madigan gets his way and Pritzker wins the governor’s race, government pension reform won’t occur anytime soon,” concluded Tobin.

 

NEW TAX FOUNDATION REPORT: ILLINOIS NOW 5TH WORST STATE FOR STATE AND LOCAL TAXES

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CHICAGO—A report released Sept. 28, 2018, by the non-partisan Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, shows that Illinois is now the 5th worst state in the country for state and local taxes, surpassing California, which comes in at number 6. A link to that report can be found here.

“Last year, Springfield Democrats shoved a $5 billion state income tax increase down the throats of Illinois taxpayers,” said Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “Now, the Democrat candidate for Illinois Governor, J. B. Pritzker, should he win, will clobber the Illinois middle class with another huge increase in the state income tax. This will be the payback for the votes he will get from the 107,000 retired government employees who receive over $50,000 a year in retirement benefits for doing nothing.”

“And in two years, Pritzker will push approval of the Income Tax Increase Amendment, which would convert Illinois’ flat-rate state income tax to a graduated income tax, with a top rate possibly higher than California’s.”

“The money from last year’s $5 billion income tax increase was funneled into the bankrupt state pension funds for retired government employees, but the funds are in such bad shape that the money hardly mattered. These leeches are getting lavish, gold-plated retirement benefits while the middle class is fleeing Illinois in increasing numbers. For four straight years, Illinois has led the nation in population outflow, and this will increase if Pritzker has his way. The state’s middle class will shrink, so even more tax increases will be necessary to prop up the state.”

“Pritzker’s proposed two state income tax increases will put Illinois into a death spiral. That will be the end of

our state, unless voters wake up and elect persons who will vote against additional tax increases.”