Northwest Herald | Local anti-tax group protests in Chicago, gets chat with governor's staff

By on October 13, 2016   /   Chicago, Illinois Press, Latest, Press  

Illinois Tax Revolution and Taxpayers United of America held a property tax protest in downtown Chicago on Wednesday, October 12, 2016, which was covered by Northwest Herald.

About 45 McHenry and Lake County residents braved a cool and occasionally rainy day Wednesday to protest in downtown Chicago for lower taxes.

Members of Illinois Tax Revolution, a new group that has made headlines by members paying their high property taxes with dollar bills, took their message to the plaza of the James R. Thompson Center, which houses state government offices. Members engaged in an hourlong protest, their third after protests in front of the McHenry and Lake counties treasurers’ offices.

Most of the protesters took the train downtown from the Pingree Road Metra station. Among them were group co-founders Bob Anderson and Joe Tirio.

“We’re here to continue to build up our coalition, and to bring the message to the people of Chicago and Springfield that the people are tired of the taxes, and we’re looking for citizens and elected officials to take action,” said Tirio, of Woodstock, who is running for McHenry County recorder on a platform of eliminating the office altogether.

Anderson, a Wonder Lake barber and longtime activist for eliminating township government, said he was happy with the turnout. He spent the months leading up to the protest encouraging people and his customers to attend to make their voices heard.

“There’s certainly enough people here to make sure that McHenry County has a strong voice,” Anderson said.

Several members of the group got a 20-minute audience with the governor’s constituent outreach staff, Tirio said.

The group was founded in the wake of the publicity and support created when McHenry resident Dan Aylward, another of the group’s co-founders, went to the treasurer’s office in June to pay the first installment of his $11,468.38 property tax bill in dollar bills. Aylward, who has said he is being taxed out of a home that has been in his family for more than a century, returned Aug. 31 to pay his second installment in singles, this time joined by three other taxpayers who did the same.

Treasurer’s offices don’t decide tax bills. They only collect what taxing bodies charge, a fact the group knows well. But the sheer number of taxing bodies in Illinois makes other forms of protest, or attending more than a small fraction of their meetings to ask for tax relief, a challenge.

Illinois has about 7,000 units of local government, far more than any other state. On top of county and township governments and community college districts, McHenry County property tax bills include school districts – often several of them – municipal government and special units such as park and library districts.

The state has the highest or second-highest average property tax burden of all 50 states, depending on the study; and a Washington, D.C.-based tax watchdog group places McHenry County’s burden as the 29th highest by county nationwide.
A poll released Monday concluded that almost half of Illinois residents want to leave – and the top reason most cited by the 1,000 voters polled was the tax burden. Census data released this year not only placed Illinois at the top for out-migration, but also for the first time put the number of people moving out at more than 100,000 people.
Among the group’s priorities are property tax reduction, pension reform, consolidation of school districts and paring down the number of taxing bodies through either consolidation or elimination.

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Tax Protests Spreading to Downtown Chicago

By on October 10, 2016   /   Chicago, Events, Latest  

View as PDF Chicago — The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is likely to strike on Tuesday because of the failure of protracted contract negotiations, but disgruntled government union members will not be alone in airing their grievances in the city this week.
On Wednesday, October 12 at noon, a grassroots coalition of taxpayers called the Illinois Tax Revolution will converge on the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago to protest rising property taxes that are increasingly making Illinois uninhabitable for average residents.
The Illinois Tax Revolution is a growing movement of taxpayers concerned about the destruction of Illinois’ communities and economy through skyrocketing property taxes and overly burdensome tax policies.
“Property taxes burden Illinois residents far more than either income or sales taxes, outpacing both by billions of dollars,” said Jared Labell, executive director of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “While we are opposed to all of these taxes and any proposed increases, data shows that the property tax hikes are impacting average residents the most, but you don’t need studies to discover that’s the case – just ask your friends and neighbors.”
“Illinoisans’ residential property-tax burden has risen by 76 percent in the last quarter-century. In the span of just a few decades, residential taxpayers now pay more than two-thirds of all property taxes in Illinois, which has the second-highest residential property taxes in the country.”
“Considering Chicago’s historic property-tax hike last fall and other subsequent tax increases, Illinois will soon most likely overtake New Jersey to become the state with the country’s highest property taxes.”
“TUA supports the Illinois Tax Revolution and champions the plight of Illinois’ taxpayers. We are committed to continuing these actions for as long as Illinois politicians threaten our homes and prosperity with devastating property taxes and burdensome tax policies,” said Labell.
“The Illinois General Assembly must rollback property taxes immediately. If you own a home in Illinois for forty years, you effectively pay for it twice – once to purchase the home and then once again to pay the property taxes. It is absolutely absurd.”
“In 1977, TUA’s founder and president, Jim Tobin, led the only successful property tax strike in modern Illinois history. Nearly forty years later, it looks like the time has come for another taxpayer revolt, but this time it will spread far beyond Cook county and the collar counties. We welcome taxpayers to join us in this fight to save our homes, our communities, and our prosperity,” said Labell.
“I urge taxpayers to join us at the Thompson Center in Chicago this Wednesday. As union members and government teachers strike and protest downtown for an even larger share of your property taxes, it is critical for taxpayers to take a stand and simply say ‘NO.’”
WHEN: October 12, 2016, Noon
WHERE: James R. Thompson Center, 100 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601

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CTU is Overpaid, Yet Threatens to Strike

By on September 28, 2016   /   Illinois, Latest  

View as PDF Chicago — “Last week, the majority of Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members authorized CTU to prepare to strike,” said Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “This strike authorization vote and Wednesday night’s special meeting of CTU’s House of Delegates will determine what path the union will go down. Whatever the results, it doesn’t look good for Chicago taxpayers.”
“CTU members tend to see themselves as modern-day Robin Hoods,” said Tobin. “But in reality, they confiscate your property taxes like the Sheriff of Nottingham.”
“Chicago homeowners, through their property taxes, have been picking up the tab for 7 of the 9 percent contributions to the Chicago teachers’ pension fund. Mayor Rahm Emanuel now wants teachers to pay the full 9 percent of their pension contributions. Naturally, the leaders of the CTU are beside themselves.”
“Let’s review what’s going on. The average salary for Chicago teachers is $70,133. With 10 to 14 years of service, a Chicago teacher’s average salary equals more than $84,000 a year. Chicago’s teachers are the highest paid in the nation when compared with teachers in the U.S.’ 10 largest school districts.”
“Last year, 28,114 beneficiaries received $1.3 billion in pensions from the teachers’ fund. The average retirement age is 61. The average annual pension is $51,454 compared with a median household income in Chicago of $47,831.”
“In other words, on average, a retired teacher gets more money for doing nothing than a Chicagoan who is still working to make ends meet.”
“Illinois Policy, in a March 1, 2016 study, pointed out that almost 40 percent of teachers retire before age 60. CPS teachers can retire far earlier than workers in the private sector, who have to wait until age 67 to collect full Social Security benefits.”
“Since 1997, teacher pension benefits have grown 6 percent a year. The system is functionally bankrupt. A well-managed pension fund should be fully funded. The Chicago Teachers Pension Fund is only 51.5 percent funded.”
“The greed and intransigence of the Chicago Teachers Union is mind-boggling,” said Tobin. “Not only should CTU members pay the full 9 percent contribution to their pension fund, but they probably need to contribute a lot more than that. Furthermore, the retirement age should be raised to 67.”
“The leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union put legendary villains like the Sheriff of Nottingham to shame.”

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