Fighting the Gentrification in Humboldt Park (Chicago, Lincoln: 2013, income, property tax)

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by EJ3791

Property taxes in IL go to local units of government. The state gets a flat 5% on income. If I understand correctly, CA has a graduated income tax system topping out at over 13%. I assume that the state shares that with local goverment in some manner. I'd guess that it works out about the same for the typical household at a given income level.

...unfortunately Illinois has a wickedly skewed system of taxation. The flat tax on income that basically mirrors Federal deducations makes it very easy to file and "double check" but it is strongly regressive. Coupling this with the limitless nature of property tax on one's primary residence means that the well off have things pretty good in Illinois. Of course since relatively large numbers of Illinois lower income residents are getting subsidies from the Federal and local government the folks worst off in Illinois tend to be those of "middle income" that get no such support. If they also are without a home to grow wealth with the benefits of tax breaks they are even worse off...

Illinois is fast becoming a place that is more like a third world country everyday -- I think one of the newspaper columnists calls it Madigastan...

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by trailblazer33

And that's why CA is bankrupt.

And I thought is was because the state was spending more than it is bringing in. Who knew it was because of property tax.

[trailblazer33]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

And I thought is was because the state was spending more than it is bringing in. Who knew it was because of property tax.

No, it's because they restricted the amount they could bring in, i.e., starving the beast.

[divakat]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

And I thought is was because the state was spending more than it is bringing in. Who knew it was because of property tax.

And that's also why their schools are so abysmal. Prop 13

[EJ3791]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...unfortunately Illinois has a wickedly skewed system of taxation. The flat tax on income that basically mirrors Federal deducations makes it very easy to file and "double check" but it is strongly regressive. Coupling this with the limitless nature of property tax on one's primary residence means that the well off have things pretty good in Illinois. Of course since relatively large numbers of Illinois lower income residents are getting subsidies from the Federal and local government the folks worst off in Illinois tend to be those of "middle income" that get no such support. If they also are without a home to grow wealth with the benefits of tax breaks they are even worse off...

Illinois is fast becoming a place that is more like a third world country everyday -- I think one of the newspaper columnists calls it Madigastan...

I would just as soon not have a progressive state income tax on top of the progressive federal one, and I like that the property tax system gives more local control. As much as I disapprove of the way Crook County is governed, I imagine that it works out better for folks in other counties, and I wouldn't want to give another dime to Springfield.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by divakat

And that's also why their schools are so abysmal. Prop 13

If schools were abysmal... top schools in California would be non-existent and this is not the case.

California has not only top individual schools... it also has excellent school districts.

Any discussion on the State of California public education must start with the Serrano Decision, in which the State took over Education.

Serrano predates Prop 13.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best...ols/california

http://www.housingzone.com/industry-...l-districts-us

[Bluefox]

Any discussion on the State of California public education is largely irrelevant to gentrification in Humboldt Park, Chicago.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Bluefoxwarrior

Any discussion on the State of California public education is largely irrelevant to gentrification in Humboldt Park, Chicago.

Agreed... I'm always amazed how California issues find their way into discussions thorughout the country

As to Gentrification... it is one of the issues where you will never get 100% agreement.

Some look at it as urban renewal... long overdue and others a threat to the status quo

[key4lp]

Thank you Chad Everette. During the time I lived there, there were many nationalities and yes there were Puerto Ricans also.
As a kid I loved learning about the other cultures around me. My point about some of the "yuppies" was that is no sense of
exploration or adventure regarding other cultures. So many just go for the current fad. I also have to say that many people at that time only could afford to rent an apartment. They took pride in the building they lived in and planted flowers and gardens even though they didn't own it. When I drove by I saw many homes that are just as neat and taken care of as they were a long time ago. Yes, the housing market helped board up some homes but also some landlords don't care nor do some residents.
Too bad the area has serious crime problems. Also, I'm not bashing any food trucks.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Agreed... I'm always amazed how California issues find their way into discussions thorughout the country

As to Gentrification... it is one of the issues where you will never get 100% agreement.

Some look at it as urban renewal... long overdue and others a threat to the status quo

I am on the fence about gentrification. I think communities turning from dangerous and blighted to safe and desirable is a good thing, but I also think sometimes a neighborhood's character can be erased in the process.. I think that's the biggest concern with Humboldt Park, which has such a unique culture and history. I can't think of any other Puerto Rican neighborhood in the entire Midwest, at least on Humboldt Park's level. It really would be a shame for it to become just another Wicker Park, Lincoln Park or Wrigleyville IMHO. I feel the same way about a lot of neighborhoods in San Francisco as well, but that is a different topic.