$1.3 Million Toilets for Wilmette Park Empire

By on March 19, 2015   /   Illinois, Items of Interest, Latest, News Releases, Referenda  

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Chicago – Taxpayers United of America (TUA) urges Wilmette Park District taxpayers to “Vote No” on two referenda on the April 7 ballot that ask for a combined total of $14.5 million in new debt for more unnecessary empire building in the Wilmette Park District.
“Wilmette Park District continues its overreach and inappropriate use of taxpayer money by its excessive plans for $1.3 million toilets, plus the associated maintenance costs, that are in direct conflict with their stated mission of keeping the Langdon Park beach natural and protected for generations,” stated Jim Tobin, TUA president.
“Just like government, the park district can’t bear to give taxpayers a break by paying off existing debt. Instead, they plan to increase your taxes through new debt of $12.7 million to grow their empire on Gilson Park. Destroying 59 acres of prime lakefront with unnecessary government structures and control of the natural lakefront is nothing but more bureaucratic overreach.”
“Wilmette Park District has engaged in a systematic takeover of not just parks, but also recreation. The district has placed the boot of the government on the throat of small businesses engaged in workshops; dance and exercise studios; early childhood centers; fitness clubs with running track; gymnastics gymnasium; a sports gym; and an auditorium for the performing arts.”
“Private enterprise cannot compete with the seemingly unlimited resources of taxpayer subsidies. The Wilmette Park District’s Community Recreation Center has already confiscated enough taxes to build, staff, and maintain 94,000 square feet of recreational space.”
“This excessive government overreach costs taxpayers dearly. Not only are the hundreds of current staff paid higher wages than their private sector counterparts, but the vast majority are entered into one of the state’s failed pension systems, the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF). Even part-time clerical, trainers, maintenance, babysitters, etc. are all offered higher than average pay and constitutionally protected lifetime pensions – about 130 of these park district employees are offered golden pensions in the IMRF!”
“Langdon and Gilson Parks are intended to be beautiful and natural treasures the lakefront provides. Leave it to government bureaucrats to think they can improve upon nature by siphoning wealth from taxpayers to build impediments to the natural beauty that then require care and feeding with more tax dollars by more over-paid government employees.”
“’Vote No’ on Wilmette Park District’s arrogance on April 7.”

Click below to view PDFs of:
Wilmette Park District Vote No Flyer
Wilmette Park Dist Pensions
Wilmette Park District Full-time salaries and part-time salaries

 

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Media Coverage of Midwest Government Pension Tension

By on March 11, 2015   /   Chicago, Illinois, Illinois Press, Items of Interest, Jared Labell, Latest, News Releases, Pension Reform, Press  


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Chicago – For nearly a decade, Taxpayers United of America (TUA) has played a critical role in publicizing the government pension crisis that has developed around the country and particularly in Illinois, where TUA was founded and currently based. With the shifting political climate in the state and the election of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner last November, who has stirred up the political class by taking a hardline approach to solving the government pension debacle without raising taxes, taxpayers are seeing more favorable news coverage opposing the lavish government pension system than ever before.
In the last week alone, TUA has received very favorable news coverage by WBBM Newsradio, Sauk Valley News, Michigan Capitol Confidential, and even the Chicago Tribune. Every bit of news coverage for TUA and the government pensions means that exponentially more taxpayers are becoming informed of the perilous financial situation that their politicians have put them in.
The gold-plated government pensions are a hot issue in Illinois and across the country, especially as legislators scramble to temporarily plug budget holes before they adjourn to their communities. These are the same bureaucrats who promise tax relief to their constituents while continuing to perpetuate a broken government pension system by balancing the books on the backs of taxpayers. TUA is here to set the record straight.
And that is why TUA’s work is so vitally important to taxpayers. Over the last decade, TUA has forced the Illinois government pension fiasco into the spotlight and for good reason; the current government pension system is unsustainable. With our persistent activism and outreach, TUA’s website is flooded daily by waves of taxpayers looking to become members, joining TUA in the fight for fiscal sanity in Illinois and to reclaim our economic future.

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893+ Lake County and Waukegan Gov. Retirees Raking in Pensions Over $100,000!

By on March 4, 2015   /   Chicago, Items of Interest, Latest, News Releases, Taxpayer Alert  

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Chicago – Taxpayers United of America (TUA) reveals in their latest government pension study that over 893 Lake County and Waukegan government retirees are collecting annual pension payments over $100,000.
“It’s unconscionable that taxpayers are still on the hook for such outrageous pensions,” stated TUA’s operations director, Jared Labell. “Across the state pension funds, there are 11,054 government pensioners collecting six-figure pensions and over 78,526 pensioners collecting more than $50,000 where the per-capita income is slightly higher than $34,000.”
“Lake County taxpayers struggle to make ends meet with 6.2% unemployment and bank-owned homes on the rise, but are forced to pay for these outrageous pensions rather than save for their own retirement, much less afford to hang on to their own homes.”
“It is time to preserve the future of the taxpayers who have been scammed by politicians and union thugs into going along with a system that creates and constitutionally protects a special class of government elite.”
“It’s also time for union leadership to have a frank discussion with the rank and file, educating them on the inevitable collapse of an unsustainable crony system designed to siphon money from taxpayers for the benefit of the few. The unions should use those dues forced from members to bail out the pension system rather than use those funds to elect political cronies who keep them in power.”
“Those of us in the private sector must reduce our spending if our income decreases; we can’t just go to our employer and demand more money to fund irresponsible spending. Mercifully, Waukegan has staved off a property tax increase for at least this year.”
“Consider the annual pension of $258,163 being paid to retired government teacher, Larry K. Fleming from Lincolnshire-Prairie View 103. His estimated lifetime payout is $11.2 million! Retiring at the ripe old age of 55, his personal investment in that gold-plated payout was a mere $326,507, or 2.9%.”
 
“Then there is Peter Krupczak, retired from the College of Lake County. He gets $216,287 in annual pension payments and because he retired at only 57, those payments with compounded annual cost of living adjustments will accumulate to more than $6.3 million! His personal investment was only about 3.6% or $228,997.”
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“The average Social Security ‘pension’ is only about $15,000 a year and taxpayers pay 15% of every penny they earn for that modest payout.”
“This pension system is the single cause of Illinois’ critical financial situation and it is mathematically impossible to tax our way out of this situation.”
“This financial squeeze of paying for yesterday’s services with today’s tax dollars is only going to get worse as yesterday’s services rendered compete for today’s tax dollars tendered.”
“The Illinois government has failed us; local governments have failed us. It is in everyone’s best interest to solve the pension problem before the system completely collapses. It is no longer a matter of ‘if’ it will collapse, but when.”
“Immediately place all new hires into 401(k) style retirement savings accounts, increase member contributions to their retirement fund, increase retirement age for full benefits, and increase member contributions to 50% of health care premiums. Anything short of these reforms will do nothing to permanently solve the problem. If it takes a Constitutional Amendment, then what are we waiting for?”

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