Which public services do you propose that we cut?

Let's begin with waste in schools, cities, county, etc. As this group does research and holds discussions I'm certain we will find enough to go around. Good question. No answers yet. Haven't had our first meeting.

I work in schools, and find little waste. Teachers spend a lot of their own money on class materials and spend long hours at home preparing. They more than earn their salaries. Please don't target the schools.

@Monita, 60%-70% of our property taxes go to schools so we could eliminate all funding for roads, sewers, police, firemen, and everything(total budgets) that goes to cities, county, and townships and not even touch the single biggest cost to taxpayers - schools. You don't want schools to be touched but here are examples of money that really didn't have to be spent: Nearly $1M for upgraded football stadiums, administrators pension bumps costing millions of dollars over the next 10 years, and much more. I know our group will have many battles over what to cut and what is sacred to each of them. The group will need to work through those issues no differently than the boards and councils do. The big difference will be we will be looking at cutting where they only look at reallocating the guaranteed increases they get every year. So my challenge is for you and any others who want to learn where the money goes and where the cuts can be made is to join the group and have your say. I know this group will make tough, wise decisions and make the local elected officials know the results. Please come and join us.

@Monita, you have a very one-sided approach. Please understand that the people who are fed up with ever increasing taxes are not mean-spirited people who "hate teachers." It is all too easy to belittle the opposition. The simple truth is that people simply do not have the money to pay for all the extra projects as Greg O'Neil included in his earlier response. When the economy is good, most of us are happy to pay a little more for extra projects but when we don't even have jobs and we're trying to figure out how we can buy food within our budget, it is making us literally sick to be asked to pay anymore. There are real tears shed when you come to the realization that you may have to foreclose on your home when you've been a responsible person all of your life. All the while, the teachers union refuses to allow the schools to let go of even the worst teachers, while insisting on high pensions and increasing salaries. Also, please tell me how you can educate a child in Florida for $1000 per child but it costs $6,000 in Oswego? There are no shortages of good teachers in Florida.

This is a question of markets - nothing more. Fewer homes are being sold and the prices are going down. Guess what? We still need services. And fewer people/homes are available to pay for those services, so the cost goes up for everyone. Is it fair? No, but life isn't fair folks. You can yell and shout your talking points and trash the teachers union all you want, but when your precious "tea party" school board is wasting money right and left - and violating the Open Meetings Act to boot - you have no ground to stand on. People would be more receptive to your message if you were more honest in your approach - that you are representing the right wing tea party people and nothing more!

@Dock Ellis, Actually, we had the area Tea Parties and the Occupy Wall Street folks want to join our day at the park and we told them no. We may have some similar beliefs as both groups but we are just ordinary people who are fed up. Demanding cuts will get their attention but maybe the answer is a whole new way of funding. We don't have the answers yet but maybe you do. Come and join us. Maybe you have some good ideas. If you only want to throw blame and innuendos around please join a different BLOG. As you are aware, there are plenty of others for you. Please join us if you are sincere because the majority of our group are sincere in wanting the insanity to stop.

Here's some areas where the District has wasted money in the past--- monogrammed carpet with the shool logo located in the entrance to OEHS- what is this, a corporate campus?, an indoor ELEVATED running track, a green room for video production, an auditorium that rivals those of private enterprise, practice sports fields so that the 'real' fields only get used on game days- you're paying for the 'real' fields to site empty 90% of the year, frivilous classes such as weaving......

These are just the quick ones I can think of off the top of my head.

While I definatly believe in paying my fair share to support the work of the schools, and government, the property tax in Will county is a cancer on the development of the area. My question, why do they need so much money from the citizens who will probably soon have to move to Indiana? Each and every expense needs scruitinized. That is how serious, in my opinion, this tax rate required to be collected for the cities / villages to balance there budget is. Hell, combined with my property tax, I pay close to 16% of my income then add the other 8-10% sales tax when I make purchases...what the hell are they doing with all that money? It is criminal. When/if housing improves, doubtful in IL as no one wants to pay 1k a month for property tax, then my ass is moving to Indiana.

Looks like to me the elementary school my relative went to, did more art than anything else while the parents who are trying to make ends meet sit night after night helping their child with spelling, math and reading! Then comes the school pictures twice a year!! 45-60 $ each time. WHY twice, I'm. wondering. Then I love reading myself but a half hour a night even on the weekends. Then free tickets to Raging Waves, Great America and The Cougars games if you log so many hours of reading. So more reading!! These are just a few things that really bothers me about the elementary schools here in Yorkville. Oh and then the kids have to sell magazines to friends and relatives so the class can get Time weekly Readers! WOW!! What do you think? Am I just being picky?? Thanks for letting me vent!

hen school starts and one in the spring!! WHY!! Then donations to all kinds of

yep-everyone who is complaining has an income problem-not a tax problem - no retired teachers complaining?-no working teachers complaining?-secure non-fireable jobs or $100-$250 per year pensions-no income problem-no complaint and sweet-no income tax on that pension-my income tax-5%-yep-I surely do have an income problem

Tim,
You are simply not paying your fair share of the tax burden then, if others are paying twice as much as you are then you are the beneficiary of free government services at the expense of others, a freeloader of sorts, right? You like that don't you. Why don't you follow your "wealthy" neighbors down to the gas station or to the grocery store and see if you can't get them to pay for half your bill, it's the same premise, they have more then they should pay more, right? This is exactly how local government works, its a socialist concept that steals from one to give to another. I think the tax assessor should double your taxes because you are using these services as much as anyone else, right? Why should someone subsidize your park and library but not your gas and groceries, thats not fair, but I'm betting given the chance, you would vote to have your neighbors pay for your food and gas, wouldn't you Tim. Now I know why they call you Hoosiers.

Note to All...This arguing and bickering will not provide a solution. Kendall County has a problem and we all need to look at the big picture. Some residents are doing well but TOO MANY are not. We need to respect our differences in opinion and be civil to one another. Join our group and maybe we can all find out what's really going on. We all want what is best for Kendall County. Come to our Rally this Friday. Together we can work to make a better Oswego for ALL it's residents.

Painful situations require painful actions.All change is painful,even change for the good.Obviously, the tax situation is painful to too many families.Changes to that situation will be painful as well.Private sector employees have been taking cuts to pay and benefits for several years.Many have been forced into retirement or unemployment to keep these businesses alive,and many businesses have died due to the economy.
So...what do we do?Continue to tax people out of their homes?Create a tax burden that discourages growth in our area?Here's a painful suggestion that may prevent more pain in the future:
Want a pay raise? You get to keep your job, there's the pay raise.Need more public employees?Show the current ones how to work more efficiently and eliminate the non productive ones.School payroll too high?10% cuts to the highest paid administrators and lowest qualified bidder gets the job.Still not enough savings?5% Paycuts for all...don't like it then go to another school district.Police needs more funds?Stop wasting money on expensive prosecution for minor pot busts and let the local police start fining violators like they've been asking to.Got sentenced to community service?Use their skills to enhance public services.Need a new building? Buy one on a short sale, there's plenty available.
It is time to stop putting bandaids on skin cancer and calling it a cure.Increased taxes will NOT cure inefficiency or waste,but will allow the continued erosion to our communities.

In the words of a well known political candidate: "Why don't you poor people just buy more money to pay your taxes and stop bothering us job creators?"
(insert politician's name...they all seem to be saying the same thing)

Well said Russ!!!! Will we see you at the Rally Friday?
Noon til 8:00PM @ Hudson Crossing.

I am so curious-what did that retired ceramics teacher do that was so special for $160,000. pension he started collecting at 55 years old. I don't know if he had a Master's in Ceramics or if his students made the best clay flowerpots in the world-I don't understand why he gets 10 times more than me, I struggle and I have an MBA-plus my pittance doesn't begin until I am 67-by that time he has collected 2 million, or thereabouts and hasn't paid State Income Tax of $100,000. Is this a tax problem or and income problem, Tim and whose problem is it?

A home rule county has certain options available to them during times of emergency. Once declared, actions that wcould seem to violate contracts and Union rights can be legally undertaken. In some situations, (and the rules are really vague about this, as well as the definition of what constitutes an "emergency or disaster") the actions can be left in force indefinitely, or until the state of emergency has been declared as resolved....with no obligations to fulfill agreements made PRIOR to the state of emergency being declared. There are several counties and municipalities in the US currently attempting to use this option after negotiations with Unions and employees for pay cuts and benefits reductions failed. The big question is: Does a severe economic downturn or a public majority (as defined as registered voters) declaration of "no faith" in local government qualify as as an emergency? If it does, then pay cuts and budget slashing may be legally allowable without recourse. If it does not, then the situation may deteriorate into one in which open revolution occurs...in which case we really will have a "state of emergency". Either way, the days of "How can we be out of money, we still have taxpayers checks!" are in dire need of coming to a close.

Tim-you don't address either of my posts-my modest house was not a status purchase, rather a roof, an abode. That I am being forced from my home is due to being starved, squeezed and crushed by the insane real estate taxes and every other Illinois tax paying insane amounts and benefits to public employees, paying for medical care for 100's of thousands who are not citizens, and the micro interests on the funds I accumulated because I did not look to a future on the public dole. The words you use make me think you are on the public dole with plenty of income. Well, here is your future: the preyed upon do not have money machines, trees or printing presses. You probably have another 2-3 years before the music stops. Then your pomposity will subside-you too will be one of those who over-bought a house for "status." If you are not scared to death about your future, beyond just the local issues, you do not have even the barest smattering of knowledge about what is going on around you. Maybe you should read and listen more-maybe you should attend the July 13th rally.

If you are interested in learning more about what the county is doing to promote economic development and diversifying the tax base, check out this article: http://patch.com/A-vSR2

I think there's merit in what a number of people are saying, on both sides of the issue. Bottomline for me, I live in a house that I might get $200K for (if lucky!) and my taxes are just about $8000. I know that I won't ever see a significant reduction in that amount. I get that. I get why. I just wish that the largest beneficiary of those checks I write would be more careful with their money. I know they need it, but it's how they spend it that bothers me. D308, I'm looking at you! ; )

Tim,
Many of us didn't move here from Hoosierville, we've lived here all our lives. Many are on fixed incomes, retired, or layed off and do not have additional resources to spend. It has nothing to with choices. I guess at 30 you just don't get it. At least have the guts to put your full name on the blog, we've had a number of fakers on the Patch and until you identify yourself, you can't and won't be taken seriously. For all we know you are not what or who you say, for that matter who cares what you think.

Every blog has a "Tim". He is clearly clairvoyant as he has planned his present and future for total financial security and nothing will ever happen to him that he has not incorporated into his life plan. He will never be a victim of circumstance-he knows every circumstance he will encounter in his next 1-80 years, because he is clairvoyant; he knows exactly how much medical care he will need because he is clairvoyant; he knows exactly what his career path will be because he is clairvoyant; he knows which business to start, which employer to avoid, because he is clairvoyant; he knows exactly which investments will achieve his goal because he is clairvoyant; he knows I will not bother to address anything more he has to write on this post, because he is clairvoyant.

Greg and Russ-I hope to meet you at at the Rally Friday-we are on the same page, the only plausible, reasonable, workable, inevitable and yearned for page.

And let us not harbor any unrealistic impression of the "Tim" who tells us how he has it all together financially-his "like" for the "interest deduction", preferable to using his funds on hand to pay off his mortgage- here's where he reveals his true, and doubtful, money management skills that have gained him the wealth he claims at 30 years old, excluding an inheritance or marrying well: fact-there is no, none, nada , a less expensive, more financially beneficial way to pay for anything, other than cash. Perhaps one charges everything, but pays the entire bill each month-that's prudent-that's using an interest free loan, and only interest free loans are financially, good planning-do we think Tim has an interest free mortgage? I don't. I think Tim is living in a one-bedroom rented apartment, outside parking for his faded blue 1991 Jimmy, the persistant smells of pan fried perch and curry, the 3:00 AM crying babies, blasting boom boxes, fighting partners and slamming doors, the only "status" he can afford with his "income" problem. But, if he were to have a greenback curriculum vitae-I surely could use his help-which he surely would give to all of us with our "income problem" , unless he is a sociopath.