A Tour of The New Addition to East Leyden High School by Dr Nick Polyak, Superintendent

Posted on September 13, 2019 by

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New Illinois Legislation Makes Significant Changes In Special Education Procedural Requirements To Benefit the Students

Posted on September 2, 2019 by

I have had my eye on House Bill 3586, which has been awaiting the Governor’s signature since June. Well, the time has come; Governor Pritzker signed the law on Friday, August 30, 2019 (PA 101-0515).

And there were no amendments to the law to address some of the areas of confusion that were identified after the bill was passed by the legislature. The amendments to the Children with Disabilities article of the School Code brought by the law are immediately in effect, although revisions may be on the horizon during the veto session.

For now, special education professionals should promptly implement the significant procedural requirements under the law. I will keep you posted regarding any changes or guidance from ISBE that may impact the implementation of the law, but for now, make plans to meet the following requirements.

IEP Meetings
The amendments in the law require all Illinois districts to provide parents/guardians with copies of all written material that will be reviewed at the IEP meeting no later than 3 school days prior to the meeting. Written material must include all evaluations and collected data that will be reviewed at the meeting and (except at initial eligibility meetings) a copy of all IEP components that will be discussed (not including service minutes and placement). While providing reports, data, and drafts prior to an IEP meeting has always been best practice to facilitate parent participation and meaningful discussion at the meeting, in reality busy schedules and the coordination of multiple team members can make this new requirement a challenge. The school districts will have to start planning for meetings early and consider calendaring the due date for documents to be sent home. Hopefully this practice will make the actual meeting more productive and maybe even quicker. The school districts will have to mark documents draft and be open to changes at the meeting to avoid claims of predetermination.

Related Service Logs
The new law also requires all Illinois districts to make related service logs available to parents at IEP meetings and upon request. Districts must notify parents/guardians within 20 days of the beginning of the school year or upon establishment of an IEP of their ability to request related service logs. Consider creating a log template so that providers keep consistent records.

Compensatory Services
If a student’s IEP services are not implemented within 10 school days after the date or frequency provided for in the IEP, the district must notify the parent/guardian in writing within 3 school days. The notice must also inform parents/guardians of their ability to request compensatory services.

Response to Scientific, Research-Based Intervention
The new law also requires all Illinois districts to use response to scientific, research-based interventions or multi-tiered systems of support as part of the special education evaluation process to determine if a student is eligible for services due to a specific learning disability. This requirement is not new and does not limit the district in conducting other assessments as part of an evaluation. The new law also allows districts to utilize RTI or MTSS data when determining eligibility for any category of disability. Parents/guardians must be involved in the RTI or MTSS data sharing and decision-making process. Parent participation in this intervention (pre-eligibility and pre-evaluation) stage of the process may be new for many districts. The law provides that ISBE may provide guidance and resources to districts on how to implement this process. In the meantime, start planning for how your RTI or MTSS process may be revised to include parent participation

If you have questions about your child’s IEP or your child receiving special education services please contact me at 708/878-7957 or contact me by email at roy_mccampbell@comcast.net.

Posted in Chicago, Education, IEP, Illinois, illinois politics, legal services, Leyden, Leyden Area Special Education CoOp, News, Pritzker, Roy F. McCampbell, Social Media, Special Education | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Begin Your Planning Early For Children With Special Needs

Posted on September 1, 2019 by

Don’t wait until your child with special needs turns age 18 to begin planning.

Becoming a legal adult leads to many changes in available benefits, needs, and your ability to act on your child’s behalf. Here are just a few of the many items for your to-do list.

Government Benefits

If your child receives SSI (or SSDI as a minor on a parent’s work record), then when your child turns 18, the Social Security Administration will automatically review his or her file. The SSA uses a different test to determine benefits eligibility for adults than for minors. The adult test asks whether your child has a lasting physical or mental impairment that “results in the inability to do any substantial gainful activity.” Your child could lose benefits or need to appeal a denial because of this different test.

On the bright side, the income requirements are different too. Minors’ eligibility for SSI turns on financial requirements that include their parents’ income and resources. Adults’ eligibility looks only to their own income and resources. Your child may therefore qualifyfor SSI even if he or she did not as a minor.

Keep in mind, if your child has not received it before, you cannot actually apply for SSI or Medicaid until the first day of the calendar month after he or she turns 18.

Government Requirements

Now is the time to get a state-issued identification card or driver’s license and to make sure you have your child’s Social Security card. You will need these cards to apply for many services. Also, your child may need a bank account to accept SSI checks or employment checks (these should be separate accounts). You also could help your child register to vote and, if he is male, he must submit Selective Service paperwork.

Practical Steps

If your child has intellectual disabilities, we recommend that your child take an adult IQ test between the ages of 17 and 18. The Social Security Administration considers IQ test results in figuring out whether your child qualifies for benefits. Obtaining a test result of 70 or below may make qualifying easier.  Moreover, this testing may help with proving eligibility for the PUNS (see previous blog post on the topic of PUNS).

Legal Steps

If your child needs significant help with activities of daily living, now is the time to start working on the guardianship process. The courts take time to process guardianship petitions, so talk to a lawyer about preparing now. You may instead need to help your child get a power of attorney.

McCampbell and Associates provides compassionate special needs legal and future planning to guide our fellow Illinois families of children and adults with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, or mental illness down the road to peace of mind. For more information, email us at roy_mccampbell@comcast.net or call 708/878-7957

Posted in #mentalhealthmonth, #metoo, Autism, benefits, Chicago, Disability Employment Month, East Leyden, Education, Employing Disabled, Finance, Illinois, LASEC, legal services, Leyden Area Special Education CoOp, Leyden High School Dostrict 212, make a wish foundation, Medical, mental health, mike madigan, News, Social Media, Special Education | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Happens When a Priest Does Not Show Up for Sunday Mass?

Posted on August 26, 2019 by

With the shortage of priests, not having a priest for a Sunday Mass is becoming more and more common.

I naively thought that I would never see such a situation, having graduated from a Catholic grammar school and high school,  but my  own parish in the western suburbs of Chicagoland experienced the lack of a priest on this last  Sunday to celebrate Mass.  This brought “home” to me and the other almost 400 attendees that the Chicago Archdiocese has to complete their restructuring as painful as it may be to all of us to continue to fulfill their religious mission. The priest shortage is real and is becoming more critical each and every day.

 

Even with the best of planning and communication, schedules get confused or electronic calendars get deleted. A priest who has to travel in may have car trouble or get stuck in ice or snow. A priest may be too ill to get out of bed. As one of cleric who is my friend once put it—what will they do if I “wake up dead?” Clearly, despite our best efforts, emergencies do happen.

There is a shortage of priests everywhere, certainly all over the United States. In some countries the priest is peripatetic. He moves from parish to parish, stopping for a day to consecrate enough wafers of the Eucharist bread to supply the masses for weeks ahead. He then leaves it to the lay servers or Eucharistic ministers to distribute them.
The tradition of there always being a priest available to say Mass in any church has already died out. This is not like the America I knew as a child where, on a Saturday morning, four priests might be hearing confessions and four rows of pews at each confession box would be filled with penitents waiting their turn.
The bottom has fallen out of the market.

Which would not be a problem if the staffing of the Church declined at the same rate as the demand for the sacraments, but it hasn’t. It has proceeded at a faster rate.
Certainly, fewer Catholics go to Mass every week than did 20 years ago. Indeed, fewer still go to confession. Almost none want to be priests, but about half of them still want to go to Mass about once a month.
That means that the ratio of priests to members of a congregation has fallen.
Even in a rapidly secularising in the US  there is demand for more Masses than there are priests to celebrate them.

In our unfortunate  event,  a trained lay person stepped up and  lead a Liturgy of the Word service; this  resembles the  Mass with the exception of a priest to preside. Of course, other ministers assisted as lectors and musicians.  There was a distribution of Holy Communion, remember Mass is more than receiving Communion—it is the prayer of the Church and the Eucharistic sacrifice that makes the Lord Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist which is later received in Communion. Anything less than a Mass is not a Mass.
In any event, an announcement was made: “I am sorry to inform you that due to circumstances beyond our control, there is no priest to celebrate Mass today. In this emergency situation, we were invited to stay and pray together with our Sunday community as we celebrated the Liturgy of the Word, remembering that Christ is present when the Church prays and sings and when Christ’s Holy Word is proclaimed.
While a Liturgy of the Word can never replace Sunday Mass, in an emergency situation such as this, it will fulfill your obligation. Saint John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Dies Domini (Day of the Lord) calls for Sunday to be “protected” and states, “In situations where the Eucharist cannot be celebrated, the Church recommends that the Sunday assembly come together even without a priest.”
Although the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days still stands, the unexpected absence of a priest is not a reason to think that you have not met the obligation. After all, the congregation made the effort to be there and can be in good conscience.

Fortunately, our senior parish leaders stepped up to the occasion .  They demonstrated an adept and unique ability to lead the congregation in a meaningful celebration.

We must continue to pray for vocations as a Church, so that such a “priestless Sunday situation”  is  rare.

Posted in benefits, Chicago, Chicago Archdiocese, communion, Harwood Heights, Health, health risk, IEP, Illinois, Illinois Pensions, illinois politics, Ireland, political satire, politics, priest, Religion, renew my church, Saint Maria Goretti, Social Media, springfield diocese | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gene & Georgetti’s Affirms That They Fully Intend On Continuing It’s Operations In Rosemont and Continue to Deliver To It’s Customers The Usual Fine Dining Experience For Which They Are Famous for Years to Come

Posted on August 21, 2019 by

Gene and Georgetti’s has made it clear that they are remaining in business in Rosemont and that there is no negotiation with Rosemont.

Thus this is a retraction of the original story.

Gene and Georgette’s has made it clear that there is no discussion for a lease but-out and further denies that the restaurant is not meeting expectations.

It is great news to hear that everyone will have the opportunity to continue to enjoy the fine food of Gene & Georgetti’s in Rosemont for many years to come.

Thank goodness that information was not accurate, they are here to stay to everyone’s delight and appetite.

Buona Petite

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Illinois Taxes Too High For Chicago To Open A Casino, A Bit Ironic

Posted on August 14, 2019 by

Illinois residents face taxes all of the time, but now Mayor Lightfoot complaining that Illinois taxes are too high to open a financially successful Chicago casino.

Gee whiz, how did they screw that up?

Chicago tries for decades to get a casino, and when the stars finally align with a supportive governor, mayor and legislature, they pass a law that we’re now told won’t work.

It’s not just a matter of the locations proposed on the city’s South and West sides being less than optimal from a revenue-generating standpoint, which everyone knew from Day One.

Opinion

Worse than that, a study commissioned by the Illinois Gaming Board found that ANY Chicago casino project, regardless of location, is “generally not financially feasible” given the “onerous” tax structure set forth under the new law.

As things now stand, say the consultants from Union Gaming Analytics, building a casino in Chicago would likely be a losing proposition for developers, and therefore a bad bet for the city.

Chalk it up to one more casualty of our state and city being broke.

In this case, our political leaders were so eager to solve the state’s and city’s financial problems on the backs of gamblers that they failed to take into account that casino owners need to make a profit, too.

According to the study, the final straw that makes a Chicago casino unworkable is a 33 1/3% city “privilege tax” to be imposed on adjusted gross receipts — which is over and above the existing tax structure for all other Illinois casinos.

The result, they say, is an effective tax rate of 72%, which would give the Chicago casino a distinction that’s become all too familiar — “the highest effective gaming tax and fee structure in the U.S.”

Shouldn’t somebody have seen this coming?

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she did.

Indeed, there were rumblings from the start that the city wasn’t satisfied with the viability of the revenue plan, which is why the legislation called for an independent financial feasibility analysis.

RELATED

No dice on 5 Chicago casino sites or ‘onerous’ taxes, study finds — but mayor, gov not leaving the table

Downtown casino shuffle: A few aces in the hole, some wild cards — but no Trump card

Opposition voices went silent, grew weary or were ignored — and gambling roared in

New suburban racetrack comes spinning out of the turns of gambling bill

Pritzker: Forget downtown, put Chicago casino in area that has ‘been left out, left behind’

But it’s also true the legislation was passed in the waning hours of the General Assembly at a time when the city was at a weak point with Mayor Rahm Emanuel just having left office and the newly elected Lightfoot still getting her feet on the ground.

Having covered the issue in Springfield at the time, I can tell you the Lightfoot team was less than transparent about what it wanted to see in a gaming bill.

Emanuel had always insisted on a city-owned casino, which wasn’t going to fly with Downstate legislators, who chafe at Chicago getting its own special deals.

Lightfoot was willing to give up on that notion to get a deal done, but as is now apparent, the last-minute maneuvering produced a flawed result.

The question now is whether the city can go back to the Legislature to come up with something that will work.

Union Gaming Analytics suggests removing the Chicago privilege tax to make the city casino more profitable for a private developer.

The problem with that idea is the city needs to generate as much money as it can from the casino and won’t give up its expected share without looking to the state to compromise as well. That gets us back in the realm of Chicago looking for a special deal.

The city lost a lot of its leverage with the passage of the casino expansion bill. Most of the competing gambling interests in Illinois, who had succeeded in blocking Chicago in the past, already got what they wanted in the horse trading.

Weighing in favor of a deal getting done is that the state needs the money from a Chicago casino just as much as the city, which means Gov. J.B. Pritzker will be doing what he can to accommodate Lightfoot.

As long we’re going to do this, I’m all for milking a Chicago casino of every last cent of public benefit, but we also have to take into account business realities if we don’t want to end up with a bankrupt boondoggle.

Posted in #madigoon, #taxation, casino, Chicago, politics, Pritzker, Rauner, referendum, Rosemont, Rosemont Horizon, Roy F. McCampbell, senator durbin, senator Mulroe, Social Media, Sports, sports betting, state representative, Taxation, teamsters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

August 13, 1979, Rosemont’s Horizon Stadium Collapsed

Posted on August 13, 2019 by

On August 13, 1979, the uncompleted roof of the Rosemont Horizon collapsed, killing five construction workers and injuring 16 others.[5] The collapse was featured in the “Engineering Disasters” episode of Modern Marvels, first broadcast by The History Channel on April 20, 2006.

The wooden roof of the 20,000-seat arena was 90 percent complete when it suddenly collapsed. Shortly after the collapse, officials speculated about a low-flying aircraft causing the collapse, and Rosemont Mayor Donald E. Stephens told the AP that it was probably a gust of wind. However, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation revealed, “The building was in such unstable condition that anything could have set off the collapse. You could have blown on it and knocked it down.”

According to an engineering case studies project, shoddy planning and missing bolts are what caused the unfinished roof to collapse.

A post-collapse investigation carried by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration revealed that the cause of the collapse was the unstable condition of the wood roof frame. Over 53 percent of the required connection bolts were missing from the building’s roof. Of the 944 girder bolts required for the connections already installed, only 444 were in place. Of these, 338 had no nuts, and some of the nuts in place were only finger-tight. OSHA also discovered that only 27 percent of the “compensating steel plates” were properly installed. Although the missing bolts were found the triggering cause, it was proved that inadequate bracing and the stockpiling of materials in the roof contributed to the collapse. Several other violations were attributed to the roof erector, who was severely fined by OSHA. The project’s architect and other subcontractors were also fined for diverse irregularities. Even the independent engineering firm retained by the city to investigate the collapse was fined by OSHA for unnecessarily exposure of their employees to fall hazards during field inspection.

In an interesting note, one year after the roof collapse, concrete stands under construction also collapsed at the Rosemont Horizon, dumping 34 tons of concrete to the ground. No fatalities or major injuries resulted from this accident.

The tragedy was featured on the History Channel’s Engineering Disasters in 2004, if you’d like to learn more.

The facility, originally named Rosemont Horizon, was intended to be the home of the Chicago Horizons of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and was home of the 1980-1981 season but the franchise folded in 1982. It was also intended to be the home of the WHA’s Chicago Cougars, but the team folded in 1975, three years before construction on the arena started. The first concert held at the Horizon was Fleetwood Mac on May 15, 1980, as they cut a red ribbon on the stage during the opening of the show.

The Rosemont Horizon was featured in many music videos, including the 1985 music video “Big City Nights” by Scorpions.[6]

Insurance company Allstate signed a 10-year contract worth more than $10 million on June 9, 1999, to acquire naming rights to the arena and renovate it.[7]

On December 29, 2002, Creed had an infamous concert at the arena, where the lead singer Scott Stapp had a bad reaction with a combination of pills and alcohol, causing Stapp to be inebriated during the concert. After mumbling incoherently for 5 songs, he later fell asleep and after a few minutes woke up and continued to sing until the concert was ended early. This resulted in a $2 million lawsuit against the band.[8]

On December 14, 2003, the floor at the Allstate Arena was named “Ray and Marge Meyer Court” in honor of Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Meyer and his wife. Meyer coached DePaul’s men’s team for 42 seasons and is the school’s all-time winningest coach.

Posted in Allstate Arena, boxing, Bradley Stephens, Economic Development, Entertainment, heavy weight fight, I 294, Illinois, illinois politics, Jonathon Cane, Journey, O'Hare Noise, politics, Rosemont, Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont School District 78, Roy F. McCampbell, Social Media, Sports, sports betting, Taxation, Uncategorized, Union | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pritzker Signs Bills Expanding State’s Medical Marijuana Law To Include Autism As Well As Other Conditions

Posted on August 13, 2019 by

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker celebrated a pair of new laws Monday that expand the state’s medical marijuana program, including one that gives students more options for taking the drug at school. 

“As we continue to reform state government so that it better serves its families, we must do so in a way that advances dignity, empathy, opportunity and grace. In each of these things, this legislation moves us forward,” Pritzker said at a bill-signing ceremony in Springfield. 

One of the bills expands a 2018 law known as “Ashley’s Law,” which authorizes schools to allow parents, guardians or other caregivers to administer cannabis-infused products to a student who is authorized to use medical marijuana. 

The law is named after Ashley Surin, a Schaumburg student who uses marijuana-based products to manage a seizure disorder she developed at age 3 while undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer she had had since age 2. She won the right to use marijuana-infused products at school in a federal court battle that was decided in January 2018.

“We’re so proud of her, and we’re so happy this program is continuing and expanding because it’s like a miracle that our daughter is doing so well, and I can’t wait to see what she does next,” Ashley’s mother, Maureen Surin, said during the ceremony.

Since enactment of the first medical marijuana law in Illinois in 2013, Pritzker noted, more than 80,000 patients across the state have received authority to use marijuana to treat certain medical conditions.

Under Senate Bill 455, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, schools will be required to allow a school nurse or administrator to administer cannabis-infused products to a student who is a registered qualifying patient. It also allows students to self-administer the medication, under the direct supervision of a nurse or school administrator, and it expands a student’s access to the drug to include before- and after-school activities.

Featured: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives a copy of the bill to Ashley Surin, after whom the law is named, and her parents, Maureen and Jim Surin, of Schaumburg during a signing ceremony on Monday in Springfield. | Peter Hancock 

Pritzker also noted the signing of Senate Bill 2023, which he actually signed Friday, expanding and making permanent the medical cannabis pilot program, which was scheduled to sunset next year.

Among other things, it adds 11 conditions for which a person may use medical cannabis, including autism, chronic pain, migraines, osteoarthritis and anorexia nervosa. It also allows qualifying veterans access to medical marijuana as part of an Opioid Alternative Pilot Program.

It also expands the list of medical professionals who can certify patients to use medical marijuana beyond medical doctors to include advance practice registered nurses and physician assistants.

The bill further requires state regulators to award any remaining medical marijuana dispensary licenses under the same competitive application review rules that apply under the new adult recreational marijuana law, meaning additional points are awarded to “social equity” applicants who come from high-crime or high-poverty neighborhoods, or applicants who have previously been arrested or convicted of minor marijuana offenses that are now eligible for expungement.

“This is yet another piece of legislation that expands equity across our state,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said. “By making the medical cannabis program permanent, expanding access to veterans and expanding the list of medical conditions, we are ensuring that families all across our state have access to the health care that they deserve.”

Posted in #420day, #madigoon, #mentalhealthmonth, #taxation, allergies, Autism, benefits, cancer, Crime, e cigarettes, Economy, Foxx, Health, health risk, Illinois, illinois politics, marijuana, Medical, medical marijuana, politics, Pritzker, Rauner, robert martwick, Roy F. McCampbell, senator durbin, senator Mulroe, Social Media, Taxation, vaping, vote | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

COOK COUNTY HOME VALUES DOWN 31%, PROPERTY TAXES UP 22% SINCE 2007

Posted on August 7, 2019 by

Cook County homeowners have yet to recover much of the home value they lost after the 2007 housing market crash. But that hasn’t stopped county homeowners’ property tax bills from climbing.

Average home prices in Cook County are 31% lower today than in 2007, adjusted for inflation, according to the most recent data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Even though homes are worth less than they were prior to the Great Recession, Cook County property tax bills have on average jumped by 22%, after adjusting for inflation. Local homeowners felt this pain Aug. 1, when property tax bills in Cook County came due.

Cook County’s poor housing recovery is a national outlier: While home prices nationwide still have yet to return to their pre-recession peak, they are down just 5% since 2007. To put Cook County’s housing plight in perspective, its current decline in average home values is an alarming 500% worse than the nation as a whole.

The biggest factor driving rising property taxes? Unsustainable growth in pension costs for government workers. Pension liabilities have risen faster than taxpayers’ ability to pay, forcing state and local governments to constantly scramble for new sources of revenue – often in the form of property tax hikes.

This diminishes homeowners’ standard of living, and potentially their home equity, while jeopardizing government workers’ retirement security.

Posted in #madigoon, #taxation, Chicago, Economic Development, Economy, Elections, Finance, Illinois, Illinois Pensions, illinois politics, mike madigan, News, politics, Pritzker, Rauner, referendum, robert martwick, Roy F. McCampbell, senator durbin, senator Mulroe, Social Media, Taxation, vote, wages | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Illinois Property Owners Could Be Funding a Special Subsidy for Affordable Housing When Approved by the Illinois General Assembly

Posted on August 6, 2019 by

The bill is being pushed in the Illinois General Assembly. Does anyone else see the irony here?

Property taxes will go up to pay for affordable housing if legislation now pending in the General Assembly passes. It’s not styled as a property tax increase, but that’s exactly what it is. It’s styled as property tax caps or reductions for affordable housing, which would directly result in increases for homeowners and everybody else.

Two bills are pending. The first is Senate Bill 2259, sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago). It would artificially limit increases in assessments of new or rehabilitated apartment complexes if the owner commits at least 20 percent of the building’s units to a rent cap for families that make less than a set income depending on the area. The second, House Bill 2168, goes further and would directly reduce assessments on similarly defined affordable apartments. It has nine House sponsors.

In other words, both bills would give a property tax break to owners of apartments for lower income renters. The problem is that the levy – the total amounts collected by each taxing authority – wouldn’t change. That means all other property owners pay the difference. The end result is simple and undeniable: Property owners would fund a special subsidy for affordable housing.

You’d think lawmakers had learned their lesson. In 2017, Chicago wanted a way to soften the blow of the city’s property tax increases, or at least make them look softer. Singling out the city wasn’t workable, so it got Springfield to pass increases in the homestead and senior exemptions for all of Cook County. We wrote about the dismal results for other taxpayers here, which the Chicago Tribune detailed. Other property owners got clobbered, especially in lower income areas.

As the Tribune reported on those results, “Many, many people are saying it’s not financially beneficial for them to pay the taxes they pay on their homes, when every 11 to 13 years, they’re paying the total costs of their home in taxes,” said Harvey Ald. Keith Price, economic development committee chairman. “I’ve talked to a couple of people that have personally told me that they are not paying their taxes anymore. They’re going to save their money, and within the two years they have (before they lose the house), they’ll just save all their money and leave.” It has only worsened since then.

If Illinois wants to pay for affordable housing it should be done smartly. The simplest and most efficient means to provide housing assistance is vouchers, not convoluted incentives like Springfield is moving towards. The pending bills would require a whole new level of bureaucracy for assessors and administrators to enforce.

The pending bills have other major flaws. Projects that would have been built anyway will still get the tax break. On them, the subsidy will have been wasted. And there’s no way to measure results. How will we know how many new projects, if any, get built thanks to the tax incentive? We won’t. That’s unknowable. For that same reason, we won’t know the full cost until after the fact.

Most importantly, property taxes are the last place to look to for funding. Illinois rates are already neck and neck with New Jersey’s for the highest in the nation. Hundreds of thousands of Illinois homeowners have had their equity erased or worse, been trapped with underwater mortgages. Suppressed values, primarily because of those taxes, have already cost Illinois homeowners a quarter trillion dollars just in the last ten years.

Raise property taxes for affordable housing. Only in Illinois.

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