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OAK PARK—Taxpayers United of America (TUA) is taking their demand for justice to the streets of Oak Park. In a canvass blitz of Oak Park Government School District 97, TUA is pedaling awareness of the status of its lawsuit against the district.
“Every resident in the district needs to be aware of the political games being used to protect district leadership from the consequences of the electioneering that we allege to be illegal”, said Jim Tobin, president of TUA.
“TUA and Noel Kuriakos have filed an appeal to the unbelievable ruling of Chicago Machine judicial darling, Judge Mary Mikva, that basically approves of the district’s practice of knowingly grossly underestimating the amount by which property taxes would increase on the April 5, 2011 property tax increase referendum.”
“We are covering the district with flyers to make sure every taxpayer is aware of the tactics the district used to pass the property tax increase referendum and the remarkable approval of those tactics by Judge Mikva”, added Tobin.
“Like the others before it, this property tax increase has nothing to do with ‘the children’ and everything to do with preserving the generous salaries and benefits of the government school employees. 80% of District 97 spending goes to salaries and benefits”, said Tobin.
View the top 100 pensions and salaries of Oak Park Government School District 97 (PDF).
“The lavish pensions of the government school employees are paid by the 67% income tax surcharge passed in 2011. The average government teacher pension of those who have retired in the last two years is $65,000.”
“We are not going to be intimidated and we are not going away. We are just waiting for dates for oral arguments or a ruling in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. This is just the next step in the process that we will see to the end”, stated Tobin.
“The ‘status quo’ political gamesmanship is no longer acceptable.”
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PEOTONE—Jim Tobin spoke to 200 members of STAND (Shut This Airport Nightmare Down) at STAND’s Apr. 21 rally to oppose the proposed government airport in Peotone.
The state of Illinois has spent $150 million on this boondoggle and is threatening to use “quick take” eminent domain to steal farms and homes from local citizens for an unnecessary government airport supported by Chicago Congressman Jessie Jackson, Jr.
Tobin said the state is using the four year 67 percent income tax increase surcharge to fund lavish government pensions and to take their properties. He asked taxpayers to throw all Springfield Democrats out of office Nov. 6, 2012 to repeal the income tax surcharge and end the Peotone airport nightmare.
The rally was held in front of a fenced off state compound, formerly a farm house and barn.
View pictures from the rally below:
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CHICAGO–The average Chicago police pension is worth three times that of Social Security and police can retire with six years less work, according to research by Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“The maximum Social Security pension is $22,000 at age 62, with a minimum of 35 years of work,” said Jim Tobin, TUA President. “The average Chicago police pension (2009-10) is $62,000 at age 58 after 29 years.”
“For a person on Social Security age 62 getting $22,000 a year, the estimated total pension payout over a normal lifetime is $560,000. Compare this to an average Chicago police pension of $62,000 starting at age 58. In this case, the estimated total pension payout over a normal lifetime is $2,500,000.”
“The average Chicago police pension is worth three times that of Social Security with retirement four years earlier and with six years less work.”
“In other words, they retire four years earlier, work six years less, and get three times as much.”
“For the Top 100 Chicago Police Pensions, the average pension is over $110,000 a year.”
“Police contribute 9% to their pension fund. The total Social Security contribution by employee and employer is 12.4%. Employers in the private sector pay employees less to compensate for their mandated Social Security contribution. Self-employed individuals pay 13.3% into Social Security on incomes up to $106,800.”
