Rockford Property Taxes Going Up to Fund Gov. Pensions!

By on August 9, 2019   /   IL, jim tobin, Latest, Pension Reform  

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Rockford, IL – Taxpayer Education Foundation (TEF) today released its updated study on Rockford-area government pensions including the top 200 pensions in the Teachers Retirement System (TRS), Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), and the State University Retirement System (SURS). Based on the TEF pension study, Taxpayers United of America (TUA) issued the following statement:

“IMRF pensions, largely kept afloat by property taxes of homeowners and businesses, hit Rockford taxpayers particularly hard. Rockford is right up there with New York and New Jersey. With the fourth highest property taxes in the entire country, Rockford is especially burdened by an effective tax rate of 2.83%,” said Jim Tobin, president of TUA.

“For many homeowners, this means that their property taxes meet or exceed their actual mortgage payment, although this is financially detrimental to every property owner in Rockford.”

“We have passed the point where the government bureaucrats who made these outrageous promises can tax their way out of the problem, although they will try their damndest. This is why Springfield Democrats have put on the 2020 statewide ballot the Income Tax Increase Amendment.

Cook County machine Democrat, Gov. Jay Robert “J. B.” Pritzker and his buddy, Chicago Machine Boss, Michael J. Madigan, Democrat Speaker of the Illinois House, are hoping to keep propping up the pension system by increasing the income tax under the guise of a ‘more fair’ graduated state income tax.”

“I guarantee that the middle class will be hit the hardest by the Income Tax Increase Amendment, as well as all of the new and higher taxes they are implementing.”

  • Click here to see the top 200 Rockford TRS pensions
  • Click here to see the top 200 Rockford and Winnebago County IMRF pensions
  • Click here to see the top Rockford SURS pensions

“Rockford taxpayers, because of their comparatively high property tax rate, will be hit harder by the Pritzker Income Tax Increase Amendment than most Illinoisans.”

“When you look at what the individual government retirees are actually collecting in taxpayer funded pensions, you can get a better idea of why this theft of taxpayer wealth is so egregious. Keep in mind that the average taxpayer will collect only about $17,500 a year from Social Security, and that IMRF pensioners are also eligible for a Social Security pension.”

Paul A. Logil retired from the Winnebago County government and collects an annual pension of $168,424. He retired at the age of 55 and paid $224,614 into the IMRF. His estimated lifetime pension payout is approximately $4,329,741. Paul is also eligible for a social security pension.

Alan S. Brown retired from Rockford SD205 at the age of 55. His current annual pension is $183,329. He paid only $175,892 into TRS and his estimated lifetime payout is $5,321,315.

Karl Jacobs retired from Rock Valley College. His current annual pension of $179,592 is more than the $159,281 he paid into SURS. His estimated lifetime pension payout is $2,833,620.

“What is most troubling about the pension crisis is that none of the elected bureaucrats are willing to do anything to fix the problem. Speaker Madigan obviously is hoping to prop this system up just long enough for him to retire, and escape all responsibility for the financial demise of Illinois.

“All Illinois government new hires should be placed in a 401(k) style retirement savings account beginning immediately, and the retirement age should be increased to 65. These measures would at least slow the bleeding until comprehensive pension reform can be enacted,” said Tobin.

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GOV. PRITZKER ORCHESTRATES REGRESSIVE TAXES ON MIDDLE CLASS AND POOR

By on June 3, 2019   /   Blog, IL, Illinois, Items of Interest, Latest  
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The president of Illinois’ largest taxpayer organization today issued a statement condemning Gov. Jay Robert “J. B.” Pritzker for betraying Illinois’ middle class and poor by significantly raising gasoline and cigarette taxes.

“Illinois’ corpulent con-man Pritzker has pushed these cruel and destructive tax increases on the state’s middle class and poor,” said Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “While middle class taxpayers struggle to make ends meet, the bloated $45 billion ‘infrastructure’ spending package passed is a payoff to the state’s labor unions that feed the Democrat machine. Adding insult to injury, the legislators that passed these massive tax increase will get a pay raise of $1,600 annually.”

“Retired state employees are literally becoming pension millionaires on the backs of workers in the private sector who are funding these lavish, gold-plated pensions with their taxes. In the meantime, these private sector workers, many of whom are losing their retirement plans, must pay a lot more for gasoline and cigarettes.”

“The state’s residents who are poor are the most affected by the enormous, regressive tax increases on these items.”

“The doubling of the state’s 19-cent-per-gallon motor fuel tax to 38 cents, higher fees for license plates and driver’s licenses, a 15% tax on e-cigarettes. and the $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike on the current $1.98 state tax are outrageous.”

“It’s time Illinois voters woke up to how much they are being ripped-off by Pritzker and his fellow Springfield tax-raisers for the benefit of special interests.”

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Taxpayers In Springfield Protest Pritzker’s New Middle Class Taxes

By on May 22, 2019   /   IL, Items of Interest  

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Springfield–Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA), and other taxpayer activists staged a protest in the Illinois State Capitol Building on May 21. The protest was held in opposition to the nearly endless demands for newer and higher taxes proposed by Gov. Jay Robert “J. B.” Pritzker and other tax thieves. 

Tobin, who spoke to the crowd at the protest, had harsh words for the current Illinois Governor. “Pritzker promised not to increase taxes on the middle class,” said Tobin. “He lied! Pritzker’s $2.4 Billion gasoline tax increase is a tax increase on the middle class.”

Pritzker has promised many new regressive taxes that will largely hurt the poor and middle class. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, some of the new taxes could be placed on ride-sharing, cable streaming, alcohol purchases, plastic bag usage, parking garage fees, cigarettes, electric vehicles, car registration fees and gasoline. These taxes are all regressive in nature, as they take up a larger share of an individual’s income compared to other taxes.

Of all the regressive and anti-middle class taxes being pushed however, the taxes for “road improvement” is the worst scam that Pritzker is pushing. As exposed in a Taxpayer Education Foundation study, a large part of the gasoline taxes collected in Illinois are funneled into the bloated bureaucracy that is Chicago government transit. This money is being stolen from non-Chicago taxpayers to fund lavish government employee pensions and subsidize an obsolete, 19th Century transit system. 

“The corpulent con man Pritzker is no savior of the middle class,” said Tobin. “He is determined to pillage the Illinois middle class to enrich the Chicago government class. This is irresponsible and legalized theft on a statewide scale.”

“That is why these grassroots protests are so important, now more than ever. We need to show Illinois government that Illinois taxpayers will resist new tax increases every step of the way.” 









  • Pictured: Ed Ford of Taxpayers for Action and and Jim Tobin.

  • Pictured: Jim Tobin and Ralyn Sue, a local activist.
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