ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT-EMPLOYEE PENSION REFORM WOULD MAKE TAXES LESS RACIST

View as PDF

Chicago-A report by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, covered by the Chicago Tribune, has some very sobering insights regarding local taxes. The first insight is that Cook County property taxes rose 3 times the rate of inflation, indicating increasingly higher property taxes imposed by local government. The second insight is that the demographic category that pays the highest proportional property taxes consists of minority communities. To quote the Tribune, the heaviest weight, meanwhile, falls mostly on “less thriving areas with predominantly minority populations and less broad tax bases.” Finally, the Tribune correctly identifies that the primary driver of these higher property taxes as government-employee pensions.

“The Pappas report and the article from the Tribune are both insightful on their own, but when combined with the Taxpayer Education Foundation’s 15th annual Illinois Pension Report, you see a very intriguing narrative forming,” said Matthew Schultz, Executive Director of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “The report, which has been republished on the TUA website, publishes the names and pensions from the six statewide pension funds for everyone to see.

“Property taxes are going higher, with an undue burden on minority taxpayers. Taxpayer dollars fund a growing elite of mostly white, millionaire retired government employees.”

“As a result, the failed Illinois government pension system is, by some standards, racist.”

“Illinois Governor Jay Robert ‘J. B.’ Pritzker has vowed to fight for justice and equity, but his lack of action has shown to be anything but. In fact, Pritzker’s hell-bent determination to take from minority taxpayers to fund lavish government pensions flies in the face of fairness.”

“Take, for example, Pritzker’s attempt to raise income taxes on the middle class with his proposed tax increase amendment. The sole purpose of the amendment was to take from the Illinois middle class for the sake of government employee pensions. What must be understood though, is that the middle class that Pritzker and his cronies wanted to leach from is growing more racially diverse, and the tax amendment  would have hurt their upward economic mobility.  Pritzker’s tax hike proposal could be seen an attack on wealth accumulation against minorities for the benefit of white government pension millionaires.”

“If Pritzker wants to fight institutional racism and not potentially support it, Pritzker needs to urge the general assembly to pass a pension reform amendment. With it, we can cancel government employee pensions as they are, and reform them to be much more equitable for taxpayers and the floundering state budget. With reform, more resources can be put to developing areas left behind the most, and give taxpayers of all colors the break they deserve.”

SJRCA 11, PUSHED BY UNIONS, IS A TAX INCREASE AMENDMENT FOR ILLINOIS RESIDENTS

View as PDF

“SJRCA 11 is really a tax increase amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would cripple Illinois’ economy and make Illinois even more uncompetitive with respect to surrounding states,” said Jim Tobin, economist and president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).

As the Illinois Chamber of commerce put it,

This proposed legislation will deal yet another blow to Illinois’ crumbling reputation as a place to do business…This legislation will force many Illinois employers and national firms to question whether Illinois’ business climate is redeemable at all. The amendment specifically bars laws or ordinances that interfere with agreements that require union membership ‘as a condition of employment.’ As is so often the case, this proposal flies in the face of national trends that have resulted in 27 Right to Work states. Illinois is nearly surrounded by Right to Work states.

The chamber’s statement pointed out that unions contributed $15.1 million to the campaigns of Illinois lawmakers who put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to make union powers permanent.

“…This amendment, Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 11, would permanently raise the cost of government services…It would give unelected union bosses–through the government leaders their political contributions elect – much greater power over what happens in Springfield than taxpayers have.”

The statement concludes,

If SJRCA 11 becomes permanently enshrined into Illinois’ constitution, the state’s labor market performance will continue to lag. SJRCA 11 creates a protected class of public sector unions at the expense of everyone else, especially job seekers.

Illinois already has some of the most unfair laws in the region when it comes to negotiating with government worker unions. That, in turn, drives up the cost of government services.

Source: https://northcooknews.com/stories/600956190-illinois-chamber-responds-to-passage-of-sjrca-11-measure-restricting-economic-freedom-in-illinois

Terry Steczo

View as PDF
“If any name deserves to be dredged up, it is former state repressive Terry Steczo (D) of the 35th district,” said Jim Tobin, economist and president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “Steczo stands out because a few decades ago, there were some Democrats who respected taxpayers. He not only broke the mold, but broke it by being one of the greatest taxpayer haters in Illinois history.”
“Almost every taxpayer-related bill he supported went against taxpayer interests. Now, he collects an estimated $138,816 annual pension, courtesy of taxpayers. He contributed only $66,825 into his pension plan, and, by the time he is 85 years old will have received an estimated $3,980,643. Terry ‘retired’ at the ripe old age of 55.”
“Except Steczo isn’t retired. In fact, according to his LinkedIn profile, he is active as a lobbyist. Not only does he receive an income from his job influencing politics, whatever he makes is on top of his state constitutionally-guaranteed pension.”
“Steczo is not the only government pension millionaire on the list. There are plenty of pension millionaires, and I am going to put a spotlight on all of them. If taxpayers would like to view the latest annual report on Illinois pensions, there is a link to it on our website.”