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Chicago – Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today submitted notice to the Illinois Court of Appeals 1st District, of its intent to withdraw its complaint against the Illinois Toll Authority for the allegedly illegal continuation and increase of the Illinois toll tax.
“The law that originally permitted this toll tax in 1953 was clear in its intent: The toll was temporary and would be paid-up by 1973,” said Jim Tobin, TUA President.
“But Illinois government bureaucrats found the Toll Authority to be such a convenient place for their cronyism, and pay-off for favors owed, that Ill. Atty. General Lisa Madigan (D) is willing to pit the entire Attorney General’s team against taxpayers to protect the Toll Authority.”
“The Toll Authority provides jobs and lucrative pensions for friends of elected officials that they don’t want to lose, even if it means cheating taxpayers who depend on traveling the toll roads to get to their jobs.”
“Because Lisa Madigan has no intention of ending the 87% increase in the toll tax and has the unlimited legal resources of the State of Illinois behind her in this fight, we are withdrawing our complaint to repeal the toll tax increase. We are conserving our resources to continue our fight against corrupt politicians in other ways.”
“This kind of taxpayers’ abuse is rampant in Illinois and clearly illustrates the priorities of the Chicago/Cook County Democratic Machine, which forces taxpayers to fund its lavish salaries and pensions.”
“We have had many successes in shining the light on the excessive salaries and pensions that drive the entire political machine, and we intend to continue to research and report on the taxpayer abuse found in the toll authority and throughout the Illinois government.”
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Chicago – Taxpayers United of America (TUA), today submitted notice to the Illinois Court of Appeals 1st District, of their intent to withdraw their complaints against Oak Park SD 97 and Wilmette SD 39. The complaints had alleged that the two school districts intentionally understated by at least two thirds, the property-tax increase referenda passed by voters on April 5, 2011.
“This case was being bounced back and forth through every jurisdiction by judges at every level. The legal action has drained the resources of taxpayers in these communities. These taxpayers attempted to hold accountable the government bureaucrats who intentionally duped voters into passing these property tax increases,” said Jim Tobin, TUA President.
“The intransigence and deceit of these government-school bureaucrats is mindboggling. They looked taxpayers in the eye, gave them false information on which to base their votes, then fought these same taxpayers in court to hold on to their ill-gotten property tax increases.”
“Our goal in filing these lawsuits was to stop the taxpayer abuse that is perpetrated by bureaucrats who seek only to protect their own lavish salaries and pensions. 80% of this tax increase is being used to pay salaries and benefits of the government school employees. Such tax increases make the teachers and administrators even wealthier, but no benefit of any kind accrues to the students themselves.”
“The judges who rule on these cases have a vested interest in protecting the ‘tax at any cost’ attitude that prevails throughout Illinois. They get generous taxpayer-funded salaries, and when they retire, they receive huge taxpayer-funded pensions.”
(See: https://www.taxpayersunitedofamerica.org/commentary/retired-illinois-judges-raking-in-gluttonous-pensions.)
“Although we are withdrawing our complaint, we have succeeded in exposing the games these government-school bureaucrats are playing on homeowners, and we will continue to work with local taxpayer activists and groups on these issues.”
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Chicago – Anthony J Peraica & Associates is appealing Judge Leroy K. Martin’s July 17, 2012 ruling to dismiss with prejudice, a lawsuit they filed against Riverside Brookfield School District 208.
The suit, in which Peraica and Taxpayers United of America (TUA) are plaintiffs, charges the school district with illegal electioneering in its failed attempt to pass a property tax increase referendum in the April 5, 2011 election.
“We are filing this appeal to protect the taxpayers from financial abuse by unions and to assert, as a matter of principle, that school unions and administration cannot conspire to expend taxpayer dollars to promote a pro-tax-increase referendum on a taxpayer dime,” stated Peraica. “If the unions and administration want to borrow money or increase taxes, they must spend their own money to do so.”
Tim Sprague of Anthony J Peraica & Associates will assist in the appeal process. Oral arguments will be requested.
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