Chicago property tax bills are on the rise again, thanks to the city’s massive pension debt. Mayor Lori Lightfoot compared the latest property tax hike to additional toppings at lunch.
Amendment 1 has many more negatives than voters will ever realize, but one of those is a $2,100 property tax hike. Illinoisans should vote on all taxing and spending hikes, not just those presented to them as vague constitutional amendments.
A new ad falsely claims Amendment 1 will protect nurses’ rights at private children’s hospitals. The same government unions who paid for the ad ended legislation that truly would have helped nurses.
The government union-backed website claims Amendment 1 would put more money in the pockets of working Illinoisans, but the change could only benefit the 7% who are government employees. All families would pay $2,149 more in property taxes.
Many Chicago charter school bargaining agreements are expiring this summer, and the Chicago Teachers Union is positioning itself to grow its power by diminishing charter schools as an alternative for parents and students.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers in 2021 spent 190 times more on Chicago-area teachers than it did on teachers south of Interstate 80. That could be why IFT membership has shrunk nearly 18% since 2017.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s re-election ad praises him for fictional tax relief, hinting he repealed the grocery tax and lowered the gas tax. Neither is true.
Proponents of Amendment 1 claim other state constitutions include similar language, but that is just wrong. Amendment 1 would cement into the Illinois Constitution government union powers that no other state sees as smart.
Federal documents filed by the National Education Association show just 5% of its total spending was on representing members in 2021. NEA and its state affiliate – the Illinois Education Association – prioritized leadership salaries and politics over teachers.
Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...