You’d be mistaken to think Harvey, Illinois has a unique pension crisis. It may be the first, and its problems may be the most severe, but the reality is the mess is everywhere, from East St. Louis to Rockford and from Quincy to Danville. A review of Illinois Department of Insurance pension data shows that Harvey could be just the start of a flood of garnishments across the state (click here to see the list).
Harvey made the news last year when an Illinois court ordered the municipality to hike its property taxes to properly fund the Harvey firefighter pension fund, which is just 22 percent funded.
Now, the state has stepped in on behalf of Harvey’s police pension fund. The state comptroller has begun garnishing the city’s tax revenues to make up what the municipality failed to contribute. In response, the city has announced that 40 public safety employees will be laid off.
Commence with raising taxes on all fronts, but not earmarking the funds - thus allowing them to fall into the general budget and pay pensions.
Gov't: "Gotta raise property taxes for schools!"
Citizens: "What?"
Progressives: "WHY DO YOU HATE CHILDREN AND EDUCATION?!?!"
Gov't: "Gotta raise gas taxes to pay for the bridges and roads"
Citizens: "You just raised property taxes"
Progressives: "WHY DO YOU HATE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE?!?"
Gov't: "Gotta raise sales tax for Police, Fire, and public transportation"
Citizens: "Guys, you just raised property and gas taxes"
Progressives: "WHY DO YOU HATE EMERGENCY SERVICES, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THE POOR!?!?"
Taxes pass - all going directly into the general fund, none actually addressing the issues they were raised to remedy (because those same issues will be used for the next tax increase).
Public Unions/Pensions: SLUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPP!!!! STILL STARVING. YOU'RE COMING UP LIGHT IN THE CHECKBOOK. GO GET MORE.
People are going to move out of those places fast as fuck when taxes go up any higher with absolutely no government services in return.
I can't even imagine how fucked Cook county taxes are now. Ten years ago it was a fucking nightmare for me. I was paying over 7 grand in taxes on a small condo. I pay about 100 times less in taxes for a similar condo (actually much newer).
Last edited by Speaker to Animals on Sun Apr 15, 2018 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
apeman wrote:
My friend from CT told me he and the wife want to move, they think CT is sinking ship, but -- get this -- the problem holding them back is that his wife, a public high school teacher, will make at least 10K less teaching in any other state.
I thought he would put 2 and 2 together, but not yet. Not enough pain.
It's seriously disturbing that a teacher cannot connect these dots.
Why are all the Gods such vicious cunts? Where's the God of tits and wine?
DBTrek wrote:Commence with raising taxes on all fronts, but not earmarking the funds - thus allowing them to fall into the general budget and pay pensions.
Gov't: "Gotta raise property taxes for schools!"
Citizens: "What?"
Progressives: "WHY DO YOU HATE CHILDREN AND EDUCATION?!?!"
Gov't: "Gotta raise gas taxes to pay for the bridges and roads"
Citizens: "You just raised property taxes"
Progressives: "WHY DO YOU HATE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE?!?"
Gov't: "Gotta raise sales tax for Police, Fire, and public transportation"
Citizens: "Guys, you just raised property and gas taxes"
Progressives: "WHY DO YOU HATE EMERGENCY SERVICES, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THE POOR!?!?"
Taxes pass - all going directly into the general fund, none actually addressing the issues they were raised to remedy (because those same issues will be used for the next tax increase).
Public Unions/Pensions: SLUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPP!!!! STILL STARVING. YOU'RE COMING UP LIGHT IN THE CHECKBOOK. GO GET MORE.
Speaker to Animals wrote:People are going to move out of those places fast as fuck when taxes go up any higher with absolutely no government services in return.
I can't even imagine how fucked Cook county taxes are now. Ten years ago it was a fucking nightmare for me. I was paying over 7 grand in taxes on a small condo. I pay about 100 times less in taxes for a similar condo (actually much newer).
Just think about how fortunate you are. It's hard not to feel sorry for our yankee cousins who just don't know the difference.
Speaker to Animals wrote:People are going to move out of those places fast as fuck when taxes go up any higher with absolutely no government services in return.
I can't even imagine how fucked Cook county taxes are now. Ten years ago it was a fucking nightmare for me. I was paying over 7 grand in taxes on a small condo. I pay about 100 times less in taxes for a similar condo (actually much newer).
Just think about how fortunate you are. It's hard not to feel sorry for our yankee cousins who just don't know the difference.
We are really trying to starve the life out of the school system here. Ashevillians are creeping further outwards, though. It's getting tough.
They are like, "do you want to throw out the baby with the bathwater??", and I am like, "we are trying to drown the baby, lady."
