McHenry Times

Tax Accountability, the political arm of Taxpayers United of America, recently endorsed Republican Allen Skillicorn of East Dundee for state representative in District 66.

“Tax Accountability is pleased to endorse Allen Skillicorn for the Illinois General Assembly’s 66th state House District," Jim Tobin, president of Tax Accountability and Taxpayers United of America, said. "He (Skillicorn) is a true champion for Illinois taxpayers. I urge voters to support Allen’s candidacy and help send a tax fighter to the Illinois General Assembly.”

Taxpayers United of America, which is among the largest taxpayer groups in the country, was founded by Tobin in 1976. Tobin, an Illinois activist, gained notoriety in 1977 after leading the first successful property tax strike in Illinois history. The organization has saved Illinois taxpayers billions of dollars, and its influence and activities are now felt in other states as well as in Washington, D.C.

“In the last seven years, Wisconsin created 44,100 manufacturing jobs, Ohio created 75,900 manufacturing jobs, Indiana created 83,700 manufacturing jobs and Michigan created 171,300 manufacturing jobs,” Skillicorn recently told the McHenry Times. “Illinois only created 4,600 jobs. Dismal. I can't stop until we lower property taxes and build a stronger state economy.”

Skillicorn stressed that there is a considerable amount of push factor as to why people are leaving Illinois.

“My Democrat opponent refuses to admit that high taxes and pensions are driving people to leave Illinois,” Skillicorn said. "I see a $100 billion pension debt. I have no idea how they're going to pay that. I see me having a huge target on my back,”

Tax increases based on such issues has Skillicorn upset about the epidemic, which has yielded problems like blighted buildings in the district he wants to represent, the latest of which is the former Walmart store in East Dundee.

“Walmart wins while taxpayers in Community (Unit) School District 300 are stuck with the bill,” Skillicorn said.

Skillicorn blamed the Walmart closure largely on tax increment financing (TIF), a public financing tool used to help fund redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects.

“TIFs allow municipalities to divert future property tax revenue increases from a specific area or district and use them to fund economic development or public improvement projects, such as luring a large retailer like Walmart,” Skillicorn said.

It is taxes like these that raise red flags with Skillicorn.

“East Dundee now has another vacant and blighted building to remind people that TIFs and corporate welfare don’t work,” Skillicorn said. “TIFs are structured to benefit developers with corporate welfare, not the local communities. Until the TIF law is changed in Springfield, more and more communities will be pitted against one another, and only the developers will benefit.”

Skillicorn also addresses the Democratic cronyism that has existed in Illinois for decades.

“Jim Edgar has been getting a lot press lately for pushing [House] Speaker Mike Madigan’s (D-Chicago) $7 billion out-of-balance spending spree,” Skillicorn said. “What he isn’t talking about is why Illinois’ finances are in such shambles. Notice that he doesn’t talk about a quarter of our budget (that) goes to fund pensions. He doesn’t talk about the pension debt that crowds out spending on the mentally handicapped or educating our children. No talk about the fact that Jim Edgar mortgaged our pensions through his infamous ‘Edgar Pension’ ramp.”

According to Skillicorn, 22 years ago both Edgar, who was then governor, and Madigan colluded on a plan to allow them both to spend more money than they had.

“They knew that fully funding pensions was expensive and the legislature, like a payday loan store, would allow them to come up with scheme that could pass billions of debt to the next generation,” Skillicorn said. “That’s right, today’s millennials will eventually have to pay off the money Edgar borrowed from the pension funds of teachers, cops, firefighters and other civil servants.”

Skillicorn added that on the topic of Edgar and pensions, Edgar only contributed $164,000 to his pension plan. Furthermore, Edgar currently collects $13,027 per month in pension, meaning it only took him about 13 months of retirement to recoup his entire contribution.

“Jim Edgar is a pension millionaire and stands to rake in over $4.7 million,” Skillicorn said. “That isn’t a modest pension, that’s a lottery payout.”