The Blog

how about "the revolution will not be televised" by Gil Scott-Heron http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTCQSk2l8bc

It's not a 'need' for MORE revenue, it's a need for LESS waste, corruption and dishonest mismanagement. It's not a 'need' for INCREASED taxation, it's a need for REDUCED non-essential 'services', said 'services' being rendered to those whose 'need' is, in fact, GREED. It's not a 'need' for citizens to continue to accept, without question, whatever they're told by the likes of Daley, Stroger, Madigan, Jones, et al, it's a need for citizens to question EVERYTHING they are being told by said liars. Taxation is supposed to be based on the LEAST amount of revenue required to provide essential services to those in need, namely, the citizens as a whole, NOT based on getting as much from the citizens as a whole will accept being taken from them. Government's SOLE purpose is to serve the interests of the citizens as a whole, NOT to serve the narrow interests of a few citizens, whose influence is disproportional to their number. To accept that taxation is based on what the citizens will tolerate is to accept being the victims of thieves. Every dollar paid in taxes must be PROVEN to have been needed to serve the interests of the citizens as a whole. Every dollar of our tax money spent must be PROVEN to have been spent to provide essential services to the citizens as a whole. All discussion devoid of the above are doomed to be nothing but the shell game played by those whose only goal is to deceive. FIRST establish the authentic, specific needs of the people as a whole, THEN determine the total amount of tax revenue needed to satisfy those authentic, specific needs, THEN determine the fair, reasonable and realistic means to impose the tax burdens to raise said revenues. As always, the orion's of our city, county and state put the cart before the horse. No wonder we, the citizens, are regularly confused, as confusing the citizens is the goal of those who are, by nature and by choice, deceivers. How can the citizens have confidence that their interests, as a whole, are being served, that the taxes they pay are being honestly and efficiently spent on authentically serving said interests, if those in control of said taxation and said spending are proven liars, deceivers and con-artists? The problem starts with the individuals who have the power of authority that we, the people, have given them, whether by our actions or our inactions. The solution starts with the removal of those previously mentioned liars, thieves and deceivers from their positions of authority. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

You take a lot for granted . How boy Daley could drop dead before 2011 or be indicted,or committed to a mental institution. He could also get caught partying with Hall and Huberman. All good things eventually come to an end.

Orion, like his master, Lord Hizzoner, is trying to pull the shell game. Daley's proposed tax hike, the $60 referred to above, is ON TOP OF the tax increase that comes from reassessing the City's housing stock. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't care how they come up with the final tax figure. Bottom line - that amount you need to pay - is if your taxes go up, that's an increase. Basing our municipal tax base on unrealized gains strikes me as both an act of deception and speculation - what if housing prices do actually drop over the next few years? A progressive hike in the state income tax to alleviate the property tax burden is overdue. Politicians will talk in circles to get around that fact, but look at Illinois' income tax compared to the other 49 states. We are one of only a handful that has a flat state income tax (very low, at 3%), everybody else has seen the light, why not us?

HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

Orion, be a good chap, and provide examples of Chicago taxpayers with $250k homes whose property tax is only increasing by $60.

Looks like the millions spent by SEIU only changed the names, not the outcomes. Same results, just 12 different aldermen drawing paychecks. Life is beautiful. NEXT !

Since riffing on songs is the theme for this little slice of Lil' Mick's rant, I will borrow from Shirley Bassey's rendition of "Theme from Love Story" by saying, "Where do I begin....." First Rev. Lucius Hall and Ron Huberman have something in common, if you know what I mean. Secondly, any homeowner of a $250,000 home that cannot afford an additional $60 tax, should probably sell the house and downsize their lifestyle. The poor people are not owning $250K homes in the first place so the hand wringing about how the property tax affects them is specious. Yes, the budget will pass, the aldermen will get their additional money for their office expenses and it will all be forgotten by 2011. And my taxpayer salary (and subsequent pension) will get fatter. Life is beautiful. NEXT !

"The only purpose of this week’s meeting was to allow Daley allies to defer and publish his 2008 budget. The defer-and-publish maneuver is what it sounds like: an alderman moves to put off a vote on an item before the council until its next full meeting ... it’s invoked to ensure that would-be reformers don’t meddle with the majority’s plans to push the budget through ... " The mechanism of the vote to defer & publish is telling. The 1st vote of the day was to fund a monument to fallen firefighters, pretty innocuous, but it became the most important vote of the day, a surrogate for the 2nd item (to defer & publish the budget), and the 3rd item (the property tax increase), since the aldermen know the vote totals for the 1st vote of the day would be applied to all votes later that day. The roll was called, and a bunch of aldermen held their tongues when their name was called. But once they recognized the ayes were over the magic 26, the quiet alderman scrambled to add themselves to the ayes: Brookins, Fioretti, Thomas, Mell, Rugai, Doherty, Reboyras, Pope, Cochran, Waguespack. Waguespack nearly missed the bus by waiting til the absolute last seconds, technically after the motion to adjourn was on the floor. The final vote was unanimous in favor. They're done. The revolution is officially over.

We finally agree on something. The state income tax is not only too low, being a flat 3% makes it very regressive to lower income individuals. I say that going further, there should also be a very close examination of the not-for-profit status of the mega-churches. The do not pay property tax, get free water while their pastors have private jets and drive luxury cars, while, unlike the Catholic church that has schools and hospitals, give relatively little back to society.

I just viewed fox 32 and they had an expose on the city Human resources board and its hack members. (Former the city personnel board)The Chairman ludicrous Lucius Hall and Children's head start program and its 5 milion dollar Daley contribution. Hall started out as a church announcer for Rev Cobb. When Rev Cobb died Hall tried to take over the first church of deliverance only to be rejected by its members.Hall took 200 member and started his own church and started calling himself the divine prophet. His payoff scams differ from other Bought off Black preacher in that he specializes in Children's programs only. His tax exemption should be revoked.