Burr Ridge Mayor Attempts Coup Of Taxpayer Meeting

By on March 11, 2020   /   Latest  
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Burr Ridge-Furious at being told to shut up at a meeting opposing his Home Rule tax increase referenda, Mayor Gary Grasso of Burr Ridge attempted to seize control of the meeting.

“He’s already had his taxpayer subsidized meetings praising Home Rule,” said Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “Then when taxpayers organize a meeting to oppose Home Rule, he wanted control of that one too.”

The meeting was hosted by TUA on Tuesday, March 10 at Barbara’s Bookstore in Burr Ridge with the intent to oppose the unlimited taxing powers of Home Rule. The speakers at the meeting were Jim Tobin, and Burr Ridge Resident and Local Business Owner Zach Mottl.

“The Mayor tried to take over the meeting. He got up and began to speak to the audience while approaching the podium. I told him to sit down and shut up.”

“When he saw he couldn’t seize the podium, he shuffled out of the meeting, head down.”

“His behavior is typical of tax thieves. Just last week, I had a school board member of Glenview SD 34 lash out at us for daring to oppose a $119,000,000 property tax increase on Glenview taxpayers. These people think taxpayers will just sit down and take any tax increase thrown their way, and are shocked when taxpayers stick up for themselves.”

“Home Rule always means home ruin. Home Rule allows virtually unlimited tax increases without a referendum. Home Rule permits bureaucrats to impose new taxes in the form of fees, licenses, and regulations. It expedites seizures of private property. It also allows municipal government to give public property to private interests without competitive bidding.

“I urge all Burr Ridge Taxpayers to vote no on Home Rule on March 17.”

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GLENVIEW DIST. 34 BOARD MEMBER LASHES OUT AT TAXPAYERS

By on March 10, 2020   /   Latest, Referenda  
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Taxpayers United of America (TUA), working with local Glenview, IL taxpayers to defeat a massive property tax increase benefitting School Dist. 34, received a hostile response from Mike Korman, a Glenview School Dist. 34 board member. Korman supports the $119,000,000 (plus interest) property tax increase on March 17.

Not happy that some taxpayers dare to oppose property tax increases, Mike Korman released a statement online. “This is NOT a Glenview based entity,” said Korman. “This is a 501(c)(4) entity that’s brags it has defeated 432 referenda in Illinois.”

“This is typical of responses we get from government school board members,” said Jim Tobin, president of TUA. “Like most tax thieves, he obviously expects taxpayers to shut up and take whatever tax increase he dictates. Why else would he think 432 victories for taxpayers against higher property taxes are a bad thing?”

“Bond issues always result in property tax increases,” said Tobin. “We are glad to spread the word about what’s really going on. Unless Glenview taxpayers want even higher property taxes, they should vote no on the $119,000,000 (plus interest) property tax increase on March 17.”

“Eighty percent of local spending goes to salaries and benefits of government employees, and taxes now support much of the lavish, gold-plated pensions they get after early retirement.”

“Taxpayers are always shocked when they are told just how much these retired government school employees get after retirement, especially when they realize it’s their income and property taxes that are subsidizing their luxurious lifestyles.”

“For example, William Attea retired from Glenview SD34 at age 57, and currently gets an astounding annual pension of $225,989. He has received, to date, $4,088,864. His estimated lifetime pension payout is $4,547,622.”

“Taxpayers must defeat all property tax increase referenda on the March 17 primary ballot.”

“And it’s crucial that taxpayers oppose the Income Theft Amendment that Gov. Jay Robert ‘J. B.’ Pritzker put on the November 3 ballot.”

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HINSDALE SD 181 ANNUAL PENSION OF $315,336 JUST TIP OF THE ICEBERG

By on March 4, 2020   /   Latest, Pension Reform  

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A recent article in the Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Patch revealed that retired Hinsdale SD 181 elementary Supt. Mary Curley receives an annual pension of an astounding $315,336, and that this enormous pension was made possible by two 20 percent raises in her final two years.

See: https://patch.com/illinois/hinsdale/ex-hinsdale-official-gets-315k-pension

“Curley retired at 55 after 34 years with the district,” said Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “For years, many districts granted superintendents and teachers two 20 percent raises in their last two years. Finally, the state legislature passed a law limiting end-of-career spiking to 6 percent annually in the last four years, which is still a huge amount.”

“This egregious example is just the tip of the iceberg. Retired government school bureaucrats and teachers in Illinois are receiving lavish, gold-plated pensions and benefits that enable them to enjoy luxurious lifestyles while the state’s government pension funds have become functionally bankrupt.”

“To make matters worse, Illinois taxpayers have had their state income taxes raised by a substantial amount so that their hard-earned dollars can be pumped into the floundering government pension funds.”

“While the average Social Security pension for taxpayers is $17,532, our Taxpayer Education Foundation’s (TUA) research shows that 111,809 Illinois Government Pensioners collect more than $50,000 in taxpayer funded payments, and over 22,000 of those pensioners collect more than $100,000 in taxpayer funded payments. This is outrageous.”

“Retired government employees who receive IMRF pensions, one of the state’s six government pension plans, are subsidized with our property taxes. They also are eligible for Social Security payments!”

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why the state’s government pension plans are effectively bankrupt, and why the state itself is going under as it tries to save these funds with more taxpayer dollars. Springfield politicians must now bite the bullet and consider an amendment to the Illinois Constitution to enable pension benefits to be lowered.”

“In the meantime, taxpayers must defeat all property tax increase referenda on the March 17 primary ballot.”

“Finally, it’s crucial that taxpayers vote against the Income Theft Amendment that Gov. Jay Robert ‘J. B.’ Pritzker put on the November 3 ballot.  

Click here to view the 2019 overview of the six major Illinois pension funds.

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