View as PDF Chicago—Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members descended upon multiple downtown locations today to demand more taxes and higher taxes for Chicago taxpayers. The “Fund Our Schools Now!” protests culminated at Chicago’s City Hall with demonstrators chanting slogans against Gov. Bruce Rauner (R), Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), and calling for more tax dollars to be funneled into the broken Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system.
An overwhelming majority of CTU members in attendance told Taxpayers United of America’s (TUA) executive director, Jared Labell, that they are disgusted with political leaders from both parties. However, many were skeptical of decentralizing power within CPS and nearly all were opposed to any reform of the pension system, one of the driving factors of the current financial crisis.
Not much has changed since CTU members last took to the streets on April Fools’ Day.
Attendees agreed almost universally that the only solution to CTU’s grievances with CPS funding and administrators is for the Chicago City Council to adopt numerous new taxes and tax increases, a proposal TUA completely opposes.
But CTU members weren’t the only people at City Hall with an axe to grind.
Also marching in solidarity with their CTU comrades in a sea of Soviet Red union shirts were members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, whose adherents passed out leaflets calling for organizing a revolution to “overthrow this system” and establish a “New Socialist Republic in North America.”
Not far from the center of the action inside City Hall was former governor and longtime political hack, Pat Quinn (D). CTU members were perplexed as to why he was there and what he was doing, and numerous attendees said that they were worried that Quinn was attempting to hijack the protest for his own political purposes. It turns out, of course, that Quinn was indeed in attendance for his own interests, which were to circulate a petition for Chicago mayor term limits and not-so-subtly target Mayor Emanuel.
Considering the pitiful return on investment for taxpayers, Cook County’s population decline, CPS’ decades-long credit ratings plunge and its unsustainable combination of lucrative salaries, benefits, pensions, and operating expenses, CPS cannot continue as currently structured. CTU members must recognize that fact. Handing more tax dollars over to the government without reform is madness. Students are not benefiting from a system that is this politicized and mismanaged.
The cost to society can be measured by the substandard performance of students, the financial burden placed on the taxpayers of Chicago, and the loss of future opportunities for the city with every day that passes without reform.
View as PDF Chicago— Val W. Zimnicki, representing Taxpayers United of America (TUA) at a meeting of the Illinois Housing Development Authority on June 16, 2016, testified against a proposed $55 million bond issue that would help Seattle-based Security Properties rehab a low-income housing complex in DeKalb, IL.
$43 million in bonds would be issued for rehab of 414 units on the North Annie Glidden Road side of the housing development. Another $12 million is being sought to redo 120 units on the Russell Road side.
Zimnicki told the authority that TUA has members in DeKalb County, and, furthermore, that TUA opposes the proposed bond issue in principle.
“Illinois citizens are already burdened with lots of bond issue debt all over the state, and many are moving out of state,” said Zimnicki. “In addition, Illinois taxpayers already are being crushed by government-pension obligations in excess of $111 billion dollars.”
Zimnicki asked for a 30 or 60 day postponement of the board’s vote so more facts can be developed. “What’s the big rush?” he asked.
Zimnicki was supported in his anti-bond position by attorney Michael P. Coghlan of DeKalb, who is representing homeowners and businesses opposing this additional financial burden.
View as PDF Chicago – Taxpayers United of America (TUA) and Illinois’ taxpayers were victorious once again in defeating the implementation of a graduated state income tax. TUA and its membership of tens of thousands of Illinois taxpayers have helped defeat every such attempt since 1992.
Jim Tobin, TUA’s founder and president, says that Illinois’ taxpayers know better than to let the Illinois General Assembly expand its damaging taxing powers any further. “Taxpayers are absolutely tired of the legislature overspending, digging the state deeper into debt, and then coming to hardworking taxpayers for a bailout. Our members hate the state income tax with a passion because every dollar that flows into Springfield’s coffers only encourages the Illinois General Assembly’s bad fiscal behavior and enables them to continue on the same unsustainable course. Taxpayers stood up to the legislature and won.”
Rep. Christian L. Mitchell’s (D-26, Chicago) proposed graduated income tax constitutional amendment, HJRCA59, was not brought up for a vote yesterday, and as a result will not be on the November ballot. Mitchell stalled the vote earlier in the week and had stated that he would call the amendment for a vote to get legislators on the record, regardless of passage.
But as it became clear that taxpayers were enraged and the legislation would fail when put to a vote, the push to inflict a graduated state income tax on Illinois was once again stopped.
“Amending the Illinois Constitution to permit a graduated income tax would have handed the Illinois General Assembly alarming power over the state income tax rates,” said Tobin. “Illinois’ state government is in shambles, but taxes must be lowered and spending must be cut. The state cannot continue to tax its way out of the financial fiasco it has created.”
“While taxpayers should celebrate another defeat of the graduated state income tax, the legislature is still in session, and the budget impasse is in its eleventh month. Taxpayers must always remain vigilant when the Illinois General Assembly is in session.”
