Red Light Camera Tax To Be Reigned In

Red Light Camera

A bi-partisan bill recently passed the Illinois House of Representatives that would ban red light cameras in non-Home Rule municipalities. The bill passed 84-4 on Wednesday and will now move to the Illinois Senate.

“Banning unreliable red-light cameras in non-Home Rule municipalities is a win for taxpayers, but Springfield can do better,” said Matthew Schultz, Executive Director of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “The primary function of red-light cameras is to steal money from taxpayers with an indirect tax. If the bill becomes law, bureaucrats in non-Home Rule municipalities will be barred from imposing this tax.

“In fact,” added Schultz, “This provides a stronger reason for taxpayers to reject Home Rule in the March 17 election.”

“As TUA founder and President Jim Tobin has always said, Home Rule means home ruin. With Home Rule, local bureaucrats can run wild with tax increases.  Home Rule means bureaucrats are no longer  limited on how high property taxes can be increased; it robs taxpayers of the right to directly vote on tax increases; it puts a municipality on the path of creating a municipal income tax, and may be the only way a local government can introduce red light cameras.”

“Taxpayers need to reject Home Rule referenda and the upcoming state income tax increase in the election on November 3. Local and state governments need to learn to live within their means like taxpayers. The only way for taxpayers to get that message across is to defeat these huge tax increase measures whenever they are on the ballot.”

5 NEW HOME RULE VICTORIES AND NEW CHALLENGES

Last night was a series of mixed blessings for taxpayers.

Yesterday taxpayers resoundingly turned down home rule from entering their communities. Beach Park, Lemont, Winthrop Harbor, Prospect Heights, and Zion all voted “No” on adopting Home Rule. By rejecting Home Rule, taxpayers have refused to give local politicians unlimited taxing power.

“I am happy for all of our local advocates,” said Taxpayers United of America (TUA) President, Jim Tobin, upon hearing of the victories. “TUA has warned for years that Home Rule means home ruin. This shows we are being heard loud and clear. I am hopeful this overwhelming victory discourages other power hungry local politicians, but governmental greed knows no limit. We have defeated 431 local tax increase referenda since 1977.”

However, the battle for the Illinois statewide government ended on a less rosy tone.

J. B. Pritzker ran over incumbent Bruce Rauner for Illinois Governor in an unsurprising victory. Rauner, who refused to sign a Tax Accountability taxpayer protection pledge, ran an ugly Republican primary campaign against Jeanne Ives. Representative Ives had scored a perfect 100% while Rauner only scored a 92% in our TUA Tax Survey of the 99th Illinois General Assembly. Representative Ives had also signed a taxpayer protection pledge.

Rauner’s attack on a committed taxpayer advocate combined with the tens of millions in funds for the Pritzker propaganda machine sealed the fate of the Republican governor.

Now with a committed tax raiser back in the governor’s seat and a Democrat majority, it falls to taxpayers to resist the Income Tax Increase Amendment, a graduated income tax increase for middle class taxpayers.

TAXPAYER MEETING IN EAST DUNDEE EDUCATES VOTERS ON THE DANGER OF HOME RULE


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East Dundee—The Fox Valley Libertarian Party (FVLP) hosted an open meeting to educate voters on the danger of home rule,  and invited Taxpayers United of America (TUA) President Jim Tobin to be their guest speaker. The speech was directed at East Dundee residents, who will decide on March 20th whether their village will cease to be a Home Rule unit.   In his speech, Jim Tobin warned taxpayers that Home Rule is the most insidious form of government in America.
“Illinois Home Rule gives unlimited taxing power to bureaucrats,” said Jim Tobin. In some cases, Home Rule even takes away citizens’ right to vote on vital city issues and limits citizens’ voice in government mayoral and council elections. “Taxpayers are effectively muzzled, except at election time, and even then, their choices are limited.”
The FVLP meeting took place at the River Street Tavern in East Dundee. The room was filled past maximum capacity, forcing many community members to stand to hear Tobin’s speech. The meeting lasted past the time it was supposed to end, as greedy pro-Home Rule village trustees both past and present disrupted the taxpayer meeting.
During the meeting the trustees tried to justify Home Rule by pointing out the $30 million in bond debt the government issued. What they didn’t say, was that it was Home Rule that allowed the bonds to be issued without voter approval.  Home Rule  is “needed” to pay off these debts, presumably using the unlimited taxing power to raise village property taxes. The Village of East Dundee only has a population of 3,182 as of 2016. The trustees also denied that property taxes pay village government retires, which they actually do through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF).
Julie Fox, Chair of the FVLP stated, “We started a conversation that needed to happen. I consider this one of the most successful FVLP chapter meetings we’ve ever had.”
TUA, along with other local activists are also opposing Home Rule in Rockford, and Homewood.