The attendees in the audience were overwhelmingly against the tax increase in this economy. School board member Michael Carbone reiterated the issues about the economy in his comments with statistics showing 1 in 3 houses sold in the district in 2009 were in distress, and 50% in 2010.

More information will be coming when we get specifics about how the stimulus money was doled out.

A special thanks to Joe Calomino of Americans For Prosperity for helping with helping us get the word out about the meeting last night.

From the Daily Herald article about the meeting:

Grayslake Elementary District 46′s effort to capture as much tax money as possible next year has prompted concern.

 

About 70 residents attended a public hearing on District 46′s tentative tax levy for next year. Several who spoke questioned whether the district is misspending money or not managing its finances well.

UPDATE: The Illinois Legislature passed some semblance of pension reform tonight. See more details at Illinois Review.

According to school board member Tim Millar:

The bond issues will nearly double our debt from $63,000,000 to $114,000,000. This approximate $51,000,000 includes the bonds and the interest over the life of the bond. This is a $51,000,000 tax increase over 20 years to all D15 tax payers.

You can read how the school district spins it at their website

Basically, what is happening is the district wants to increase and extend the debt the district owes with new debt. The taxpayer gets saddled with current and a larger future debt and they don’t even get to say yes or no. This is just more government arrogance and the trampling of taxpayers. To stop this atrocity, visit Tim Millar’s site and help him gather signatures to force the district to put this on the ballot.

The revised numbers indicate that Illinois’ unfunded promises for state employees’ health care benefits now exceed $39.9 billion. As of June 30, 2007 this amount was calculated to be $23.9 billion. We have yet to determine why this liability went up by $16 billion in one year.

Illinois is also the worst offender in funding pensions [Emphasis mine]:

The worst case was Illinois, with a $54 billion gap between the cost of the benefits it had promised to pay retirees over the next 30 years and the amount it had set aside.

“Recessions and investment losses played smaller roles in the creation of this problem,” said Susan K. Urahn, the center’s managing director. “To a significant degree, the $1 trillion gap reflects states’ own policy choices and lack of discipline.”

The State Legislature has a spending problem and have for years. The taxpayers cannot and should not bail them out again with a tax increase. They have proven over and over again, they cannot be trusted with more of our money.

By Bill Zettler

RE: Retirement Benefits for State Employees vs. Non-state Employees.

NOTE: 320,000 of Illinois 6.5 million workers (5%) are eligible for state pension and retiree health care.

1. Why can 5% of Illinois workers retire with full pension and healthcare benefits at age 55 while the 95% have to wait until 65?
2. Why do 5% of Illinois workers have a constitutionally guaranteed pension while the 95% have no guarantee with Social Security or 401K’s?
3. Why do 5% of Illinois workers have superior retirement benefits compared to the other 95%?
4. Why do 5% of Illinois workers contribute an average of 8.4% of their pay to retire with health care at 55 while the 95% contribute 12% to retire with health care at 65?
5. Why is 25% of the 2014 state budget needed to fund retirement for 5% of Illinois workers?
6. Why do the 95% have to guarantee all investment losses for the pensions of the 5% when their own pension investments are not guaranteed?
7. Why do public employees average 5.5% – 7% salary increases per year while Social Security members average 4% per year?
8. Would state pensions have a surplus if pension payments were made on 4% salary increase and 12% employee contribution since 1990?
9. Why do 140,000 state university employees and state employees pay zero for health care while working and during retirement?
10. Why do the 95% have to pay a $130,000/yr pension for a 56-year old music teacher?
11. Why will the 95% have to pay $100,000 pensions for the 14,000 public school employees who make more than $10,000/mo when there are 75,000 certified teachers not teaching?

3,597 Illinois “Public Servants” Receive $100,000 Plus.

Pensions In 2009 Up 12% From 2008.

• 96 of the Top 100 are educators
• The Top 13 come from the state universities
• A $100,000 pension at age 55 is worth $2.4 million in cash
• Sixty-three State Employees Had Pensions Greater Than President Clinton’s Pension
• Average Pension (top 100) – $212,407

You can read the original request here. The district has been spending frivolously in this economy (links below) and now is trying to find over $2 million in cuts. Despite this, they have not been willing to provide data to the public on how they spend their money. We must now demand an end to the practice of no representation without information. To put it simple, “No Info, No Taxes”.

Please join us next week. You do not have to speak, just have your presences felt by being in the audience.

Grayslake Middle School District 46 Board Meeting
Wednesday, February 3 @ 7 pm
440 Barron Boulevard, Grayslake
(847) 223-3680

Here are a few past stories of district expenditures:

• D46 ADMIN PAY RAISES? – http://educationmatters.us/2009/05/04/d46-admin-pay-raises/
• GRAYSLAKE ELEMENTARY CUTS 29 JOBS – WHO’S TO BLAME – http://educationmatters.us/2009/03/26/grayslake-elementary-cuts-29-jobs-–-whos-to-blame/
• Grayslake school district employees going to Disney World – http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=334943
• Dist. 46 board says sending group to Disney money well spent – http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=336703
• Money tight? Let’s go to Disney World – http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=335303
• DISTRICT 46 PAID FOR AWARDS – http://educationmatters.us/2008/06/11/district-46-paid-for-awards/
• DISTRICT 46 SUPERINTENDENT ELLEN CORRELL DEFENDS PAYING FOR CONSULTANT WHO GAVE AWARDS – http://educationmatters.us/2008/06/12/district-46-superintendent-ellen-correll-defends-paying-for-consultant-who-gave-awards/