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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.
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Chicago – Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America’s (TUA), today stated that opposing Home Rule is crucial for residents concerned with their skyrocketing property taxes.
“In the upcoming March elections, wealthy government bureaucrats want voters to approve Home Rule for their communities,” said Tobin. “Home Rule is a disaster. It gives unlimited taxing authority to local bureaucrats to fund their lavish, gold plated pensions. Illinois is broke, because of an unsustainable pension system. Taxpayers must reject Home Rule on the March 20 ballot.”
TUA is helping local supporters oppose three home rule referendums on the ballot in March: Homewood, East Dundee, and Rockford. TUA helped repeal home rule in the City of Rockford in 1983, the largest community to have home rule repealed. Now TUA is back to help preserve the rights of taxpayers in these three municipalities.
Click below to access printable versions of the flyers for Rockford, Homewood, and East Dundee.
Tobin emphasizes that Home Rule always means higher taxes.
“Home Rule means, literally, unlimited taxing power,” said Tobin. “A home rule municipality can create just about any tax under the sun and raise taxes without limit.”
“I call it ‘Home Ruin.’ Why would anyone want to give up the right to vote on property tax increases?”
“Home Rule removes the cap limiting the amount that bureaucrats can increase property taxes. It gives bureaucrats a blank check. How many government bureaucrats would you trust with a blank check bearing your signature?” Home Rule drives consumers to neighboring communities where the taxes on products and services are lower.”
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Chicago – Val Zimnicki, the Director of Outreach for Taxpayers United of America’s (TUA), today spoke before the Cook County Board. In his speech, he urged the board to reform the Cook County pension system.
“Cook County finds itself in the same dire condition as the state’s government-employee pensions funds,” he said. “The cause is the same: a lavish, gold-plated pension plan that allows county bureaucrats to retire early and collect huge pensions for decades for doing nothing. It is mathematically impossible for Cook County to tax its way out of this problem.”
According to publicly available sources, it is stated that the Cook county pension fund was only 60% funded, creating a $6 Billion unfunded liability. However, it was recently revealed through FOIA requests that the fund was just 36% funded and the unfunded liability was really $15.3 billion as of December 31, 2015.
“Until the Illinois Constitution is amended to allow pension benefits to be reduced, there can be no short-term solution to the bankrupt county pension system. There is a solution, but it is more of a long-term solution, so the sooner this reform is started, the more notable will be the results. Eventually, as the current county retirees pass from the scene, the county pension plan will recover.”
In his speech, the Director of Outreach offered solutions the board to help prevent a looming pension crisis.
“All new county hires must be put into their own retirement plans, such as 401(k)s. They must plan for their retirements outside of the county pension plan. A 401(k) is a feature of a qualified profit-sharing plan that allows employees to contribute a portion of their wages to individual accounts. Elective salary deferrals are excluded from the employee’s taxable income. Furthermore, employers such as you can contribute to employees’ accounts.”
