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Amen, suunnyancloudydays. The low tax states that look so appearling do not have a major player city, nor 13M residents, nor 102 counties, nor a great medical system, nor a very good school system. Il education really sucks until you live in church conrolled state where football uniforms are more important than Math. If the school board wants uniforms or a new school the parents are blackmailed: "We really WANT _____ and if we can't have it then the schoo sports and all extra curricular programs will be suspended indefinately." Guess how parents vote? Personal taxes pay for schools and it often equals the same amount as the property tax .. at least most residents pay their share of taxes to support the schools. The elderly and handicapped get the least services. Sick kids .... well it's left up to the parents. If you don't have money you trust your kids care to doctors who should not be licensed. The doctors from India may be well trained but they zero compassion and the bedside manner of a rutting ***. Most of these poor hospitals hire mulims instead of Americans to work in the office. It's more than sad when you cannot trust original records to be returned in a hospital that is staffed by muslims -- and a University Hospital at that.
Let\s be clear here. I have had enough exposure to Indian doctors and muslim staff that I don't like either a medical setting; I don't like the attitude. I'm very lucky to live in IL where I still have many choices when it comes to finding quality medical care.
All true points Firstly yes Illinois has outstanding Universities, home to 13 million people , i still think our police force is outstanding , fire fighters outstanding. I will pay the extra dime to have this doesnt matter to me if my wife is ill and i need medical attention that ambulance is here in 3 minutes. To me its just well worth it
as far as the dr and medical stuff hey i have been there wont go to those drs either.
good post and thanks for sharing
Well in defense of Illinois the state still has a lower tax burden than a little more than half of the states.
No fan of Quinn by any measure but the tax rate has not swayed me to pull up stakes and move because of a 2% rise in a tax that was one of the lowest in the nation.
Yes the state needs some reforms and the crumbs you discuss are all across these united states
It is discouraging to see comments like this on this forum as most of us are proud to be from Illinois
There is a culture of corruption IL that is pervasive. It is not enough to simply say that the same thing happens everywhere else. Maybe I have spent too many years in Springfield, but it is difficult to marginalize the actions of peoiple like George Ryan, Blago, and Joe White (i.e., U of I admissions scandal) for starters ; not to mention the tollway contractors bribery scandal and our esteemed Jessie White appointment to Congress. Name another state besides possibly Lousiana that has had as many scandals in the past 10-15 years?' . All of this sounds more like a backass one license plate state and alot less like a civilized amd enlightened mecca of altruism.
Totally disagree with your comments
Look we have alot in this state abundant resources like water ... look at texas they have a drought and a short water supply
we are literally the nations premiere source for transporting goods from air, shipping by train or by truck - our railroads and the trucks that carry goods to all americans millions of them cross illlinois land , to me that something to be proud of
we sit on the mighty mississippi and we sit on the southern most point of lake michigan its just an ideal location and on top of that our agriculture feeds the nation and other countries but hey i guess that is not good enough
what more do you want , sorry i just dont see your logic
Our state parks are awesome , most of our county and city parks are kept up and clean.
People visit our wonderful state for pleasure and they also come here out of necessity from all over the WORLD to be treated at our top notch hospitals
Its a great state - sorry you feel so sour - when was it a bad idea to lend a helping hand to one in need anyway.
I dont know about you but when I help someone in need it makes me feel like the person left better- so for you to say its a mecca of altruism is an overstatement imho but hey who am i too judge you have your opinion and thats great thats what makes the world tick, i simply just disagree with you
Yup, where I live those terrible taxes help support library, fire, police, city jail, EMT, hospital, parks, three K-12 schools, community college, waste removal, disposal, treatment, recycling, plus safe drinking water, solid waste treatment, city streets, sidewalks - and we are just a little town in very rural Illinois where coyotes prowl.
Despite the diminuitve size we too have trucks, trains and barges that criss-cross our county to load and off-load products. IL is a top U.S. producer of corn and beens, grains, livestock and a host of other products.
Haters who want to leave ought to go quickly and in peace at the most propitious opportunity. Be careful what you ask for. The church owned city/state does not invest in people. It invests in dogma and expanded control of the people and for the people. In my lifetime I lived in three of those little Theocracies. I miss my friends, but I don't miss the 13 religious stations that were piggy-backed on dreeadful info-mercials. The signal was so bad and the channel lineup was godawful boring I bought a satellite system. I felt like I had been let out of jail.
I don't complain about income taxes, as other mentioned, it is still one of the lowest in the nation. My pet peeve is how education is funded in Illinois, via high property taxes (compared to other states) where there are many overpaid administrators ruling over tiny small school districts. Also:
1) Because of this poor areas have less funding, hence it is more difficult for them to 'catch-up' with more affluent school districts. Economic discrimination
2) High Property taxes are specially hard on senior citizens, who don't use as much of the services. I know there is a 'circuit-breaker' tax break for senior citizens, but it only prevents the assessment value to go higher, it doesn't allow it to go lower. As you know property values have been decreasing for the last couple of years, not increasing. Because of the demographic composition of the US, senior citizens will become a higher % of the population as a whole. I just don't see them staying in Illinois where they can get more 'bang for the buck' for their retirement money. Illinois should be courting that money.
3) In a similar position are real estate investors. They get screwed up with property taxes for services they don't receive (Especially for vacant land, where you can't even have renters). We own property in Cook, Dupage and Kane. We pay as much in property taxes for a rental property in Cook than for a piece of dirt in Geneva.. Is crazy!
Taxes are higher near Cook County. However seniors who own property do have other options besides "Homestead" if they meed income and age guidelines. Age, Military active and retired, chronic medical conditions, circuit breaker, re-assment and tax freeze. It does not apply to rental property.
You must live in your residence on Jan 1st for two consecutive years before you can apply for relief. You have to prove why you are elegible through medical, miliary, and independant property appraisal. If you are approved your taxes can be reduced substantiallly and frozen at that level as mine were.
I don't complain about income taxes, as other mentioned, it is still one of the lowest in the nation. My pet peeve is how education is funded in Illinois, via high property taxes (compared to other states) where there are many overpaid administrators ruling over tiny small school districts. Also:
1) Because of this poor areas have less funding, hence it is more difficult for them to 'catch-up' with more affluent school districts. Economic discrimination
2) High Property taxes are specially hard on senior citizens, who don't use as much of the services. I know there is a 'circuit-breaker' tax break for senior citizens, but it only prevents the assessment value to go higher, it doesn't allow it to go lower. As you know property values have been decreasing for the last couple of years, not increasing. Because of the demographic composition of the US, senior citizens will become a higher % of the population as a whole. I just don't see them staying in Illinois where they can get more 'bang for the buck' for their retirement money. Illinois should be courting that money.
3) In a similar position are real estate investors. They get screwed up with property taxes for services they don't receive (Especially for vacant land, where you can't even have renters). We own property in Cook, Dupage and Kane. We pay as much in property taxes for a rental property in Cook than for a piece of dirt in Geneva.. Is crazy!
Yes but rental props generate income and they are different than someones primary home.
I would suppose a good accountant could some how offset your expense
isnt the bottom line the bottom line
then again you could have a rental prop in southern alabama or a poverty stricken state and generate no income on a property and have extremely poor services.
Yeah when it comes down to it there are many states higher than here in Illinois
I guess at the end of the day after the taxes are filed and I take my exemption s for federal my overall tax rate is very reasonable.
People just get all up tight about things
like a tax on pop a fee increase for a bridge in california
guess i am just not that wound up compared to others
Why waste the time and energy being mad about something you cannot fix? Stay out of California and buy pop in another state. There are no free rides.
From my POV the biggest problem Illinois has is that it does not effectivly share the tax burden on all. Thirty-years ago Personal Property taxes - NOT in Illinois - included car, tractor, trailer, mobile home, riding lawn mower, ATV, washer/dryer, TV, pets and other odd items.. If you did not pay PPT you could not renew your license or plates. In IL it woiuld be impossible to collect. But there are two taxes that are not impossible to collect. A 1% on anything we can eat or drink in any food or drink establishment and at every venue or a flat 1% purchase on every product including luxury cars and homes. luxury boats, and second homes. If you buy it out of state and bring it into Illinois for pleasure you will still the 1% at the title office. You do the state charsges $20 for a record search for birth or death?
The state could also sell a car inspection sticker. No sticker no license. How about one cent per $20 of insurance. for car, home and rental inurance? You do know that Fair Isaac score influences everything from loans to insurance. Actuaries decided if we are old, poor or handicapped we shall set our homes on fire and wreck our cars for the "insurance" money. It is idiotic but as individuals we have no way to protect ourselves from unfair practices and greedy insurance companies that weasel out of paying most claims anyway.
So True, No Free rides!
Just dont understand - I guess some folks think a police squad car with high tech equipment to track criminals is inexpensive or free
A fire truck with the latest up to date search and rescue tools
All the needed equipment to rescue a car that has crashed along the highway , how can you tag a price sticker on these things.
Tornado sirens to alert county residents of an impeding storm
The proper equipment to clean and salt the roads in the dangerous winter ice and snow storms
Let alone the man power to cover these life saving operations
No one wants to be gouged but I sure as heck would like to have the best equipment available for a loved one if they were to get in an accident or happened to be a victim of crime. It just goes hand in hand.
Interesting personal property tax? Was this like some line item on a state form?
Agree 1000%
Agree it needs to be spread out more evenly here in the Prarie state.
At the end of the week I do not have nearly the take home pay as a wealthy citizen.
Granted I know all the arguments too- the wealthy invest, start business, spend their money etc. etc.
Well I do too- maybe not as much!
Great example with your food tax example. We all need to eat----- and it would be harder for the wealthy to skirt around this issue!
Just give me enoug to pay my bills , by my wife a gift every now and then , drive a dependable used car and have a reasonable nice home and yes a money for a vacation once a year. And donate my goods to the AMVETS
Dont need much else
Last edited by sunnyandcloudydays; 08-27-2011 at 07:45 PM..
Reason: comment and spelling
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