Taxpayers pick up tab

This is one of the many reasons why Mr. Trump is so popular - taxpayers are tire of paying for someone else live when they themselves are struggling to get by. 

Under Mayor Richard M. Daley, the city of Chicago chipped in $19 million to build Sky55, a 40-story apartment building that was part of City Hall’s plan to redevelop the South Loop neighborhood where Daley lived.  Now, the city’s taxpayers are paying to help fill the privately owned building.

They’re helping to cover the rent for people in the Chicago Housing Authority’s housing choice voucher program, formerly known as Section 8, to lease 28 apartments in the tower. Four of those apartments, each with sweeping skyline views, are leased by CHA voucher-holders at rents of $2,730 to $3,199 a month.

Taxpayers pick up the entire tab for two of those apartments because, the CHA says, the tenants have no income.  Public funds also cover more than half the rent payments on the other two units. 

Read more......

THE WATCHDOGS: You paid to buildthem, now you pay to lease them

It’s an expensive effort, costing more than $47 million a month, with the federal government picking up $35.9 million of that and CHA tenants paying the rest.  But the program is riddled with inequities, the Sun-Times and BGA found. Among them:

 

The CHA pays for some to live in high-rent, luxury properties, largely in upscale neighborhoods that are predominantly white.  Many of them contribute little or nothing toward their rent.  On the other hand, thousands pay far more and remain clustered in poor, black neighborhoods on the South Side and the West Side.

Of those receiving a voucher, 298 are leasing apartments, townhouses and single-family homes that cost $2,000 or more a month.  The CHA spends a total of $7.5 million a year on those units, ranging from spacious homes to condos in skyscrapers.  Taxpayers cover a higher percentage of the total rent for voucher-holders in two downtown wards than anywhere else: 87 percent in the 42^nd Ward and 83 percent in the 2^nd Ward.

Read more......

Chicago’s public housing divide, aWatchdogs / BGA special report

 

AFSCME refusal to negotiate might be the end to end all

Illinoisans are leaving the State Photo/Pixabay/CC0

In a press release, Springfield,Illinois declares the AFSCME refused to seriously negotiate with the Rauner Administration, old news becomes new news again. Lets just face it, the history of the AFSCME shows they have always been a closed-single minded organization with no concern for the taxpayers or financial crisis issues. In 2000 they rejected and refused to negotiate with Gov. Ryan because they wanted a six percent annually wage increase and Ryan offered a 4.3 to 4.5 percent increase annually and zero-tolerance policy on illegal drug use for DOC workers. In 2013 Gov Quinn tried to get state employee compensation in line with what the state can afford but failed because the AFSCME said they would strike it they did not get their way and taxpayers have been paying the price since.

Gov. Rauner proposal consist of programs to help minority employees, keeping the 37.5-hour work week with overtime rate wages happening after completing a 40-hour work week, merit bonuses, salary freeze and health care reforms, all of which has been accepted by 17 other labors unions. AFSCME’s leaders want four-year raises ranging from 11.5 to 29 percent, a 37.5-hour workweek with immediate overtime wages for any minute worked over 37.5 hours, five weeks of vacation, double pay for regular holidays, 2.5x pay for some “super holidays, do not want merit bonuses or any programs for minority employees, and demand insurance that is considered platinum-plus under the Affordable Care Act with taxpayers subsidizing over 80% of the cost. Altogether, AFSCME’s wage and insurance demands would cost taxpayers over $3 billion.

In response to AFSCME’s refusal to seriously negotiate, and in accordance with the tolling agreement, the Rauner Administration is now asking the Labor Board to determine whether or not the parties are at an impasse. It is little wonder why Illinoisans are moving out of the State as they see their income dropping due to increased taxes and fees, while state employees earnings have grown over five times faster. Deficits, higher taxes and debt has hurt Illinois and the AFSCME's refusal just might be their last refusal as more and more Illinoisans are becoming dependent on the government, soon there will be no one to pay for their lavish benefits.

Are you ready for your new life

U.S. Presidential flag, 1960-present (not usually called a "standard" in official U.S. government terminology). It is defined in Executive Order 10860. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Without a shot being fired, without hardly a whimper, our own government has just taken away American citizenship. 300,000 illegal immigrants; maybe even more, have entered into our country with the blessing of our government. The so-called border problem is now solved, we have open borders! No more need for border agents; the border agents are now being trained for their new job, wiping the nose of all that cross our borders.

Now Obama wants the #taxpayers to dish out billions of dollars to pay for his plan to change the United States. He has no intention to deport anyone – he has ordered that illegals are to be distribute throughout the United States in the shadows. So far everything is going according to plan, our written laws are being used to shield and protect all law breakers.

English: An MS-13 suspect bearing gang tattoos is handcuffed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since it is a big secret where exactly these #illegals are being put, who knows who is in danger of contracting one of their contagious diseases, how many are gang members – which schools will they be put in, to harass and bully our youth into their gang. MS-13 members are already recruiting this influx of illegal unaccompanied youth ages 10 to 17 to increase their membership, how will your school age child fend them off?

The Democrats and Obama are asking now for billions of dollars for these illegals, as more entry illegally across our open borders they will be upping that to trillions. Where will this money come from, you ask, well from every working #taxpayer. As you living poorer, struggling to get by, worrying about your expenses; those who get from our government will be living better, getting a better education, getting free medical, getting better housing, clothes, vehicles and have all the free time they need to enjoy it – as a legal, hard working, taxpaying citizen - will you?

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Sequester

Sequester is about the over spending by the government.  While Obama want higher taxes - GOP wants spending cuts.  What Obama claims will happen if sequester is left to happen is happening already. 

Lorain: Hundreds of teachers being laid off _ Ohio

Since when is it okay for the President to lie and deceive to get his way?  Is the President of the United States suppose to threaten people to get his way or use scare tactics to cause fear in people to get his way?  Maybe sequester should be left alone if it means that money is cut from Air Force One and Obama's traveling campaign that is solving nothing but filling the air ways with propaganda.

Americans have seen their citizenship diminished, will soon see their health care diminished, been foreclosed on, have been layed-off or lost lost their job to foreigners at home or overseas, and have taxation without representation.

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Easy come, Easy go

OK, just how do we feel about your lost of $1,233 due to our government investment firm? Bet you did not even know you had that to lose. According to Rick Newman, Chief Business Correspondent for U.S. News, that is what each household has now lost due to the hurry up bailouts. That’s $148 billion so far. Don’t wait for a dividend check. As he writes many who received bailout fund, nearly 700 firms, are still in trouble and will not be able to pay back money taxpayers gave unwillingly. I guess our government felt, easy come, easy go. Some are very close to declaring bankruptcy. Can we sue our government for breach of contract? Or can we write it off as a loss on our taxes?

How much will you pay for transit bailout?

DATE: 01/31/2008 23:07:13

Check out the site below, transit bailout will cost you big if you sell your house. Contact your Alderman and say NO to this real estate tranfer tax.

http://www.wrongtax.com/

Vote on Budget Today

Today City Council; voted in to give residents of Chicago a big increase in taxes and fees and gave themselves a big increase in salary.

MAYOR DALEY’S $276.5 MILLION REVENUE PLAN BY THE NUMBERS

• $83.4 million property tax increase costing owner of a home sold for $250,000 roughly $60 more a year.

• $43.9 million increase in water rates.

• $20.8 million increase in sewer fees. Combined water and sewer increase costs the owner of the average single-family home $45 more each year.

• $10.5 million by imposing a new five-cent tax on each container of bottled water.

• $12 million liquor tax increase that’ll add seven cents to the cost of a six-pack of beer, two or six cents to a bottle of wine, depending on the liquor content, and 22 cents to a liter of hard liquor.

• $48 million by doubling — to $2.50 — the monthly surcharge on telephone bills.

• $24 million by raising the tax on lease transactions from 6 to 8 percent. It’ll add $4 to a $200 car rental fee and a dime to a $5 DVD rental.

• $8.7 million by raising 32 different parking fines. Individual increases range from 11 to 140 percent.

• $3.8 million by increasing the fine for being caught on camera running a red light from $90 to $100 and $5.7 million by installing red light cameras at 20 more intersections.

• $1 million by raising billboard fees and cracking down on illegal signs. Signs located on the premises of a business go from $75 to $200. Larger, off-premise billboards go from $75 to $500.

• $3.5 million by imposing a 25-cent development fee on every square foot of buildable floor area.

• $1.6 million by raising — from 1.50 to $2 — the cost of a strip of tickets to Taste of Chicago, Blues, Jazz and Celtic festivals.

• $6.2 million by raising the cost of a city sticker for SUV owners from $90 to $120.

• $3.9 million by raising the natural gas use tax from 5.2 cents to 6.3 cents per therm.