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Chicago – “Safe Roads Amendment” sounds so good. Who could possibly vote against it? However, the measure would be more aptly named, “Safe Revenue for Contractors and Unions” or “The Tax Increase Amendment,” stated Jim Tobin.
“Proponents of the amendment see this as a way to increase taxes to benefit their cronies. Former Illinois legislator and union crony, Jim Reilly openly states that this amendment will make it easier to raise taxes!”
“This amendment would also provide yet another constitutionally protected siphoning of taxpayer wealth for the benefit of special interests — the special interests that continually contribute funds to reelect the very legislators who seemingly can’t be trusted to spend tax dollars appropriately,” added the Taxpayers United of America president.
“Union bosses and contractors are drooling at the thought of a steady revenue stream protected by the Constitution. I can see driving across beautiful roads while the rest of the state is falling in ruin around us. Without an emergency release of this designation of taxes, funds could never be used where a greater need may exist.”
“A better solution would be to fire the lawmakers you don’t trust by voting them out of office.
The purpose of the Constitution is not to protect select groups of individuals, like the government employees and their pensions, but to protect the taxpayers from out-of-control government.”
“I strongly urge Illinois taxpayers to recognize this amendment for what it is: cronyism in its worst form, approved by the many to benefit a few, through additional tax increases, and packaged as a taxpayer benefit. On November 8, Vote “NO” on the proposed Tax Increase Amendment.”
“Fire about 80% of the incumbent lawmakers and hire people you trust to spend our money more wisely, lawmakers that will put seriously helpful amendments on the ballot,” urged Tobin.
“Illinois’ finances are among the worst in the country largely due to government-employee pensions. Where is the amendment that would protect taxpayers from this inevitable catastrophe? Where is the amendment that would limit the terms of the General Assembly, thereby limiting their power and indebtedness to special interests? Where is the amendment that prevents politically motivated district maps or gerrymandering?”
“Illinois has real financial problems and this amendment will not help, but instead will drive us further into financial ruin,” concluded Tobin.
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Chicago — It’s that time of year again: when trees are aflame with fall colors, football is in full swing, the little goblins are blissfully anticipating the thought of mountains of candy, and…the government cabal is again reaching for your wallet!
Rather than cut spending to meet the existing revenue, hundreds of government agencies are expecting voters to approve measures that will steal even more of our hard-earned money.
In these difficult economic times, government school bureaucrats are seeking bond issues of gargantuan proportions to build new schools, athletic facilities, and other non-educational expenditures.
These bonds and the interest on the principle are paid by raising your property taxes.
Champaign Community Unit School District #4 is seeking an unbelievable $183.4 million in bond debt for building enhancements, additions, and even a new building. This is their third bite at the apple as referenda for $144 Million and $149 million have failed in the most recent elections.
If that isn’t bad enough, the Village of Round Lake Park is seeking a bond issue approval of $5.4 million to reduce the amount of unfunded pension liabilities for the police. Borrowing money to pay a debt is much like paying one credit card with another. This practice can lead to nothing but trouble for the taxpayers of Round Lake Park.
Overall, there are 218 tax-increase, advisory, and other miscellaneous referenda on the ballot for the general election on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
Please check the list at the link below to see if you will be facing any of these referenda on your ballot. We need to send a loud and clear message to the government bureaucrats that we have had enough!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016 General Election Referenda
Taxpayers United has been fighting for taxpayers for over forty years. We have saved taxpayers billions of their hard-earned dollars by helping to defeat 420 local property tax increases since our founding in 1976.
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Chicago — Susana Mendoza, current Chicago City Clerk and Democratic candidate for Illinois Comptroller, is claiming to be a taxpayer watchdog on the campaign trail, but as a six-term state representative, her record proves otherwise.
“Former state representative Susana Mendoza has said that she is a taxpayer watchdog, and she continues to tell taxpayers that her record proves it, but if Mendoza was politically savvy, she would run away from her voting record of tax increases while in the Illinois legislature,” said Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
Mendoza was elected in 2000 as the youngest member of the 92nd Illinois General Assembly and she represented the 1st District for six terms until 2011.
“Despite her claim of being a ‘taxpayer watchdog, who believes in rooting out waste,’ Mendoza’s legislative record is an abysmal failure representing the hard-working taxpayers of Illinois. Her votes in Springfield equal more than a decade of voting against the interests of taxpayers and property owners in Illinois. Mendoza cast her votes for escalating debt and tax hikes, not to protect taxpayers,” said Tobin.
Since 1983, TUA has compiled a biennial tax survey to rate the voting records of the Illinois General Assembly based on their fidelity to taxpayers and support for tax relief. Mendoza failed each of the six tax surveys conducted during her time in office. She began and ended her time in Springfield with a solid rating of zero, having voted against the interests of taxpayers on every vote featured in both tax surveys for the 92nd and 97th Illinois General Assembly sessions. She never earned a rating above 25% while in office.
Compare Mendoza’s record to that of her self-admitted mentor, longtime Illinois Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan, who has failed every one of TUA’s tax surveys. Madigan’s highest rating stands at a pathetic 40%, which still beats her record, although he has received a score of 0% five times since 1983, including on TUA’s latest survey of the 98th Illinois General Assembly.
“Mendoza can’t claim to be a taxpayer watchdog while also hailing Chicago alderman Ed Burke and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan as her political mentors,” said Tobin.
“The fact is, Susana Mendoza did not stand up for taxpayers while in Springfield for more than a decade, and there’s no reason to believe that would change today if elected as Illinois Comptroller. She voted for SB 2505 in January 2011, the historic lame-duck session’s 67% income tax increase. During her last term in office, she even missed an important vote on SB 3314 for property tax relief. That legislation came as a direct result of TUA’s lawsuits holding government schools accountable for deceiving voters by understating proposed tax increases by 300%. Her voting record is solidly against the taxpayers of Illinois.”
“If Susana Mendoza can’t take the time to vote on behalf of taxpayers in Springfield, and her record disproves the myth that she’s a taxpayer watchdog,” concluded Tobin, “then voters can’t trust her to take on a job as fiscally important as Illinois Comptroller.”
