McHenry Times

Newly elected Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) hopes the next legislative session in Springfield is more productive for the state than his first one was.

“We have to reduce the burden on people and start being more efficient with what we do,” Ugaste told the McHenry Times. “We also need to change our focus and start trying to attract more business to the state where people can get good paying jobs that allow them to take care of themselves instead of trying to come up with the next government program.”

Ugaste argues that a new Federal Housing Finance Agency report that finds average home values in Illinois have declined by more than 20 percent over the last decade while property taxes soared by at least 9 percent is yet another indication of how state government has not always operated in the best interest of the people. Over that same period, the drop in home values across the state was 300 percent worse than the national average, according to the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI).

“That tells us while we had a recession that most of the country has recovered from, Illinois is among the slowest growing states.” Ugaste said. “Part of the reason for that is high taxes. Home values go up based on demand, and right now we have outmigration. When that happens, lower home values and fewer taxpayers mean higher tax rates. It also tells us that various units of government in Illinois are still spending as before while not taking in as much.”

Given such trends, IPI argues that it is no wonder the total population across the state has declined over each of the last five years.

“Home ownership is the biggest investment most families make, but it’s not only a financial investment – it’s an investment in that community and the state of Illinois," the government watchdog group stated in an article. "It’s an investment fewer people are making.”