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“Rochester Village bureaucrats are hoping to strip voters of their right to vote on property tax increases by placing a Home Rule referendum on the March 18 ballot,” stated Jim Tobin, president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“Rochester government bureaucrats want to raise taxes at a time when we should be cutting taxes. Home Rule is ‘Home Ruin’ because it gives unlimited taxing authority to bureaucrats who just love to recklessly spend other people’s money. Home rule always means higher taxes.”
“This is nothing more than a money grab by greedy government bureaucrats who will tax everything they can to prop up their own salaries and pensions.”
“By increasing or adding taxes to products and services in Rochester, savvy customers will go elsewhere to escape the higher taxes imposed through Home Rule. The last thing Rochester businesses need is to give customers a reason to spend money elsewhere.”
“Voters in Rochester need to vote NO to stop Home Rule and force the village government to live within its means, just like they, the taxpayers, must do.”
“Taxpayers can download a copy of our flyer at www.taxpayersunited.org and get the word out to friends and neighbors, that they have a chance to retain their right to vote on tax increases by voting NO to stop home rule in Rochester.”
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Chicago – Illinois taxpayers are fighting local tax expansion and increase referenda with the help of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). TUA is helping activists in Johnsburg SD 12 and Huntley Park District to defeat property tax increase referenda that would prevent taxpayers from finally getting a property tax cut when current bonds are paid off.
“Government bureaucrats in Huntley Park District and Johnsburg SD 12 are working hard to prove that no tax increase is temporary and no bond debt is ever paid off,” stated Jim Tobin, president of TUA.
“Property taxes in Illinois are second highest in the country while unemployment is nearly the highest and state income taxes were just increased 67%. Taxpayers have the opportunity to get a little relief by when current bonds are paid off, but government bureaucrats can’t have that.”
“Huntley Park District bureaucrats want $19 million and Johnsburg SD 12 wants $41 million. Those are huge property tax increases at a time when we should be cutting property taxes. We are still in a foreclosure crisis and some of the worst economic times of our lives. But that doesn’t stop the government bureaucrats from raising your property taxes for their own benefit.”
“Moody’s has downgraded Johnsburg SD 12 credit rating as recently as January, 2014, citing:
- Depreciating tax base valuations
- Declining enrollment trends
- Growing General Fund deficit balances with reliance on cash-flow borrowing to provide operational liquidity
Which means that the interest rate on these new bonds will be higher. It also means that it’s not a good time to borrow money. SD12 bureaucrats need to cut spending, not increase spending and property taxes.”
“Huntley Park District bureaucrats think it’s a good idea to increase property taxes to pay for new facilities that will be used by a very small percentage of the district’s population.”
“Taxpayers have had enough of the irresponsible spending by government bureaucrats and the willingness to force people out of their homes, if necessary to prop up their own huge salaries and lavish pensions.”
“We expect taxpayers to defeat both of these money grabs by greedy, self-serving government bureaucrats at the March 18 primary election.”
View the Johnsburg ‘Vote No’ Flyer HERE.
View the Huntley Park District ‘Vote No’ Flyer HERE.
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CHICAGO—The so-called “pension reform plan” being pushed through by Ill. Sen. Pres. John J. Cullerton (D), Ill. House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D), Senate Minority Leader Christine Rodogno (R), and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin is being kept a secret from legislators and taxpayers, but smells like a rotten deal for taxpayers, according to the President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA).
“Cullerton, Madigan, Rodogno, and Durkin are trying to cram a bad bill down the throats of taxpayers by keeping it from review by legislators and taxpayers alike,” said Jim Tobin, TUA President. “Their secrecy and their new-found sense of urgency tell me that they have found a way to kowtow to the union bosses who keep them in power and pass the cost to the taxpayers before they know what hit them.”
“According to the limited details that have been released regarding the agreement between the Illinois power brokers, there is very little reform to the system that has been bankrupting the state and burdening taxpayers. This proposal shifts even more of the cost of these lavish, multi-million dollar pensions to the taxpayers and provides additional guarantees to perpetuate a system that has decimated Illinois’ budget.”
“It seems that reelection is more important to some Illinois legislators than providing real reform for lavish, gold-plated government pensions.”
“Immediate and real pension reform is long-overdue. Ending pensions for all new government hires will eventually eliminate unfunded government pensions,” said Tobin. “New government hires should plan for their own retirements by being placed in Social Security and 401(k)-style plans.”
“Furthermore, if each government employee were required to contribute an additional 10% toward his or her pension, taxpayers would save $150 billion over the next 35 years. Instead, the proposed plan shifts even more cost away from the employees to the taxpayers.”
“Finally, requiring Illinois government employees and retirees to pay for one half of their healthcare premiums would save even more – an estimated $230 billion over current projections.”
“This proposed deal stinks and is nothing more than political cover for the government bureaucrats who seek reelection.”
