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CHICAGO—The president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA) condemned the unresponsiveness of the legal system in Illinois, which denied an appeal by taxpayers who sued Riverside-Brookfield Sch. Dist. 208 for illegal electioneering.
“It’s mindboggling the extent to which local judges protect the status quo, even in the face of convincing evidence that a local government-school district engaged in illegal electioneering in trying to pass a property tax increase referendum,” said Jim Tobin, TUA President.
Representing homeowners, TUA had joined with Anthony J. Peraica & Associates in appealing the decision of Judge Leroy K. Martin’s July 17, 2012 ruling, in which he dismissed with prejudice their lawsuit against Riverside-Brookfield Sch. Dist. 208.
Plaintiffs Peraica and TUA had charged that the school district used illegal electioneering in its failed attempt to pass a property tax increase referendum in the April 5, 2011 election.
The appellate court affirmed Judge Martin’s dismissal of the lawsuit on Oct. 31, 2013.
“While we are disappointed in the appellate court’s decision, we were successful in defeating the April 5, 2011 property tax increase referendum despite the shady tactics of Sch. Dist. 208,” said Tobin.
“Our efforts on behalf of taxpayers against devious school districts led to the most important reform legislation in the 97th Illinois General Assembly: SB3314, introduced by St. Sen. Don Harmon (D-39 Oak Park), which was the direct result of the lawsuits filed by TUA against Oak Park D-97 and Wilmette D-39 school districts for using ballot language that purposely mislead taxpayers by understating by 300%, the property tax increase resulting from passage of a referendum. SB3314 makes this practice of duping voters illegal.”
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CHICAGO—Ill. Senate President, John Cullerton is putting Illinois at risk of going under by denying that the state’s pension systems are in crisis, according to the Executive Director of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“Illinois’ five government-employee pension plans have a deficit of at least $100 billion,” said Rae Ann McNeilly, of TUA. “Due to decades of reckless overspending on lavish, gold-plated pension benefits of retired government employees, the plans have passed the point-of-no return. It is mathematically impossible to tax your way out of this crisis. The 67% increase in the state personal income tax and the anti-business 9.5% corporate income tax rate passed two years ago, every dollar of which is being pumped into these pension funds, didn’t even make a dent in the state’s unfunded liability. Unbelievably, Ill. Senate President, John Cullerton has been quoted recently stating that the Illinois’ pension system is not yet in crisis.”
“The so-called ‘reform’ plans of Ill. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) and Ill. Senate Pres. John Cullerton (D) do nothing more than provide political cover for these career politicians, falling critically short of the necessary reforms.”
“While they play Russian Roulette with Illinois’ finances, the number of government retirees making more than $100,000 in annual pension benefits has grown to more than 10,000 and the unfunded liability grows, conservatively, by $5 million each day that passes without real pension reform.”
“Immediate and sweeping pension reform can stop Illinois’ downward spiral but will take serious political courage. Will you step up to the plate, Pres. Cullerton and Speaker Madigan? Or will you turn your back on Illinois as you ride off into retirement, leaving the state in virtual ruin?”
“Reform must include ending defined benefit pensions for all new government hires in order to permanently eliminate new, unfunded government pension liabilities. New government hires should plan for their own retirements by being placed in Social Security and 401(k) plans, like those in the private sector.”
“Each current government employee must be required to contribute an additional 10% toward his or her pension, saving taxpayers $150 billion over the next 35 years.”
“Finally, requiring Illinois government employees and retirees to pay for one half of his or her healthcare premiums would save an estimated $230 billion over current projections.”
“If these reforms are not put in place soon, Illinois will become a larger version of Detroit.”
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The Illinois state corporate income tax is not 7% as some politicians, columnists and organizations have erroneously stated, but is actually 9.5%, according to the president of one of the nation’s largest taxpayer groups.
“The total Illinois corporate state income tax rate of 9.5% includes a base rate of 7% and another 2.5% on top of that, which was added by constitution amendment in 1980,” said Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America. “The additional tax was called a ‘personal property replacement tax,’ which purportedly replaced a 19th-century tax that was not even being collected.”
The Ill. Dept. of Revenue’s own website states: “For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2011, corporations pay 7.0 % income tax and 2.5% replacement tax.”
“Two years ago the Democrat-controlled state legislature pushed through a huge, back-breaking 67% increase in the state personal income tax, as well as hiking the state corporate income tax. Every dollar from these gigantic tax increases is being pumped into the terminally-ill state government employee pensions funds, and these funds, which fund lavish gold-plated pension plans, are still going under.”
According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., “The Illinois corporate state income tax rate, recently raised from 7.3% to 9.5%, rose from being the 21st highest overall corporate tax rate in the country to 4th highest. Almost all nearby states have lower state corporate state income tax rates, putting Illinois in a very unfavorable position competitively.”
“Now Springfield Democrats are pushing for a state graduated income tax with a top tier of as much as 11%. Illinois, which is struggling to survive economically, undoubtedly would become an economic wasteland if the state’s most productive individuals and corporations flee to states with lower tax rates.”
