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Kennedy blames “corruptible” assessment “racket” for underfunded schools

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* But he doesn’t propose an alternative. From the Kennedy campaign…

This morning, the Kennedy campaign released the following video message from Chris Kennedy, addressing voters about our broken property tax system. He is inviting voters to share their stories about how relying on property taxes to fund education has affected local schools.

* The video…

* Transcript…

Many of us received a property tax bill recently, and if you opened it, and you read it, you’re probably angry.

If you’re not angry you’re at least confused.

The whole system is designed to keep you that way. In fact, the document that you’ve received makes it very difficult to figure out what the county is assessing your home at. They use a number that’s a “discounted number.” They show you a 10 percent number, they don’t show you the full number and so you think you’re getting a deal and don’t complain.

That’s the way they’ve designed the system, to keep people in the dark. The rich and connected, they hire lawyers and lobbyists to go in and have private meetings in the assessor’s office to change the value of those properties even before the number is ever published.

And because they pay less, we pay more. But worse than that, is because they pay less, our kids get less.

I know how this system works and I’m going to fix it.

In Illinois, we fund our local schools with property taxes. The reason we keep funding our schools this way, though everybody in the legislature knows that this is not the right thing to do, the reason we do it, is because it’s a corruptible system. It’s a way for the insiders to effect the valuation of all the properties in our state.

Because of this racket, the schools are constantly underfunded. That’s why a lot of the schools don’t have a library. They don’t have recess on a playground. They don’t have a computer lab.

We need to move away from the property tax system and have our state pay its fair share of everybody’s local schools.

We’re going to need a mandate for such change and that’s where you come in.

I’d like to hear your story, how your school is impacted.

Let’s shine a little daylight on it. Let’s tell our stories and then let’s confront the government and make a change.

Keep in mind, however, that Kennedy got a $10,000 reduction in the assessed valuation of his own home.

* Related…

* Kennedy-led company used Madigan’s firm for property tax refunds: Madigan & Getzendanner won more than $133,000 in property tax refunds for at least one property owned by Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., or MMPI, according to two checks the Cook County Treasurer’s Office sent out in 2009. Kennedy served as the president of MMPI from 2000 to 2011. Both checks indicate property tax refunds paid to the order of “Merchandise Mart Prop c/o Madigan Getzendanner.” The first refund of $60,884.17 was for tax year 2003. The second refund of $72,460.08 was for tax year 2005. The checks were sent to the office of Madigan & Getzendanner at 30 N. LaSalle St.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:23 pm

Comments

Looks like he used Madigan to boot https://www.illinoispolicy.org/kennedy-led-company-used-madigans-firm-for-property-tax-refunds/

Comment by odd Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:32 pm
If you taxed: gold coast, old town, lincoln park, evanston, and the like, at the ACTUAL fair market value, there would be no CPS budget issue, and no Chicago pension issue.

If you taxed: Illinois farmland at a reasonable value (something more than 1/2 of a percent of the land’s fair market value)there would be no downstate school funding issue, and no teacher pension issue.

But no, let’s just let a small number of farmers and wealthy city folk drive up the cost for everyone else

Comment by KAY-ro Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:37 pm
PTELL caps the levy - issues with unfair assessed valuations merely moves the burden around among the different property owners and has little to do with the amounts of revenue received by the schools.

Comment by Hamlet's Ghost Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:43 pm
A $10k reduction in the total bill would raise eyebrows.

A $10k reduction in the assessment was probably not worth appealing in the first place.

(I don’t know the backstory on his house, but surely its worth many, many multiples of that. On the other hand, $10k off where I’m from would be a lot of money.)

Comment by NW-IL Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:43 pm
1) That video feels like it was filed in 1985.

2) Kennedy doesn’t seem to understand that a lowered assessment doesn’t lead to lower tax revenue to schools. It simply leads to everyone else paying a little more.

Comment by JoeMaddon Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:46 pm
Kennedy received a reduced assessment? Hmm. With Pritzker getting his property tax relief, it appears the two Dem rich-guys both work the system that games the rest of us. Madigan? He’s THE architect of the whole gig … to his personal advantage.

That’s some interesting property tax warriors the Dems are offering the voters.

Comment by Lance Mannion Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:48 pm
Could he not read more than three sentences in a row or is the way the video is cut on purpose?

Comment by OneMan Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:48 pm
KAY-ro: Evanston doesn’t feed into CPS because of that pesky city border

JoeMaddon: Kennedy totally he gets it, he is counting out vast majority of voters not getting it. It is a safe bet.

Comment by Anonish Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:50 pm
Holy editing Batman. What was that? Can the guy not talk for more than one sentence without need to stop and reset for the camera. Weird.

Comment by Saluki Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:52 pm
**Can the guy not talk for more than one sentence…**

If its anything like his campaign speeches, he probably isn’t able to stay on script for more than a sentence or two.

Comment by JoeMaddon Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:54 pm
Protesting your property tax assessment is common practice in cook county. Why? Because valuations by the county are wildy innacurrate and baseless in my limited experience. The issue here is the government effectively incentivising vacant property by lowereing the assessed value of that property, thus decreasing the overall tax. Other cities (DC comes to mind) provide a disincentive to neglect or abandon property by increasing the tax rate on vacant properties. In sum, the system is flawed (at least in Cook Co.). Bottom line: Kennedy isnt gaming the system. Pritzker is.

Comment by Citizen Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:54 pm
Good lord, I’m half expecting him to offer (((Info Tapes))) on how to reduce your property taxes.

Comment by ChrisB Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:58 pm
The Kennedy message is highly effective (a solid “A”). The videotaping techniques (C-) could be better. He said more in this no frills spot than all of the Pritzker commercials combined.

The corrupt system had been in place for decades before Madigan was born, but he and his allies refined it and tuned it.

Comment by W Flag Monday, May 22, 17 @ 1:58 pm
It’s the TIFS, kids. The TIFS.

Comment by Winnin' Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:01 pm
AWFUL!
He’s telling us something complex, but the camera focus perpetually breaks up our attention. Worse, he shows us nothing, but his face.

No one thought about using his audio and then presenting us shots of schools, properties, playgrounds, children? SOMETHING visual that keeps us interested?

He’s a weak speaker. He has to overcome that voice with body language that gives him heft and presence. Weak!

Please, someone who knows what they’re doing, please help this candidate’s presentational style.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:04 pm
The message is decent, despite some hypocrisy by Kennedy. He’s not wrong, it is a racket. It is corruptible.

As far as delivering the message? Well, he almost makes Rauner look articulate.

Comment by Deft Wing Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:05 pm
The average Democrat is going to think their bifocals are slipping off their noses watching this miserable video.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:07 pm
Senate Bill 1 (and House Bill 2808) would -

(1) provide funds for ONE position for 141
Pre-K “children with disabilities” (yes, one
position for 141 children with disabilities)

(2) provide funds for ONE position for 141
K-12 GENERAL education students (special
ed teacher OR speech/language OR social worker
OR occupational therapy OR physical therapy)

(3) provide NO new funding for special ed co-ops
(or for special education joint agreements)

(4) provide almost NO new funding for 167
wealthier school districts

(5) as now amended to remove 10 percent
of funds from the poorest districts, even if
$3 BILLION in NEW money was added TODAY,
220 school districts (and Chicago) would be funded at 79 percent or less of adequacy (Advance Illinois analysis graphs of May 19, 2017)
We will be lucky if $350 Million, NOT Billions, are added to Pre-K to 12.

“Note, however, that even if the maximum of $3 billion were added, most of the downstate districts would still miss their ‘adequacy targets’ by a mile.”
(Illinois School News Service, May 22, 2017)

(6) ELIMINATE direct and dedicated funding for
special education teachers

Comment by winners and losers Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:13 pm
A fiasco from a sound & editing viewpoint alone, but it also flopped from a content point of view. Instead of giving it an “F,” could we just ask for a do-over?

Comment by Dome Gnome Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:14 pm
He talks like many people I know from Chicago. Simple sentences. Don’t be most elite. I actually like the video as well. Good message. Nice job.

Comment by Tom Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:31 pm
In the property tax system it is important to differentiate between the assessment and the property tax bill. Judging by his comments, Mr. Kennedy doesn’t seem to understand the difference.

Also, assessing at 1/10 of market value as Chicago does for residential property - or 1/3 of market value as the rest of the state does for residential property - is not the problem, as long as the assessment is based on actual market value.

Comment by Joe M Monday, May 22, 17 @ 2:43 pm
The Kennedy Crew seems to be looking for ways to engage, but with nearly a 2 minute video and the $10,000 tax break, it’s trying too hard to be someone outside looking in.

There’s a great deal of potential for Kennedy to not only be leading beyond his name recognition, this video is a great analogy to his campaign…

Wandering, almost lost, searching for an answer while giving one, to be the answer… and saying far too much while saying nothing really at all.

If I were the Kennedy Crew, I’d watch this video with the internal issues front and center in their mind.

Then tell me how this isn’t a metaphor for what’s been shown from this campaign?

I’ll wait to hear how that went…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 22, 17 @ 3:10 pm
Since he’s so offended by the “corruptible” property tax system, he should agree with Rauner to impose a permanent freeze.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, May 22, 17 @ 3:12 pm
Couple points….

Going way back to the late 1990’s (thinking 1998), had an opportunity to work with an IL DOR manager who was tasked with determining what would be required to just move the schools (K-12 only) off RE taxes and instead be funded by Income tax.

Well, the research study went nowhere once the players involved came to the realization that the Income tax would go from the then 3% level to in excess of 11% level (remember, this was using pre 1998 data). IIRC, the accumulated data never even got published.

The study didn’t even look at any of the non local school tax districts (like municipalities, community colleges, townships, etc.).

Funny thing was, all the players at the time absolutely hated the existing (still current) property tax system, but they definitely HATED the alternatives a lot more. For example, you can ‘game’ the income tax system based upon income, but you are really limited on ‘gaming’ an income tax system based upon location. It’s not practical.

That means the Cook County RE tax classification system goes ‘bye bye’. Think about those implications.

Same thing about Farmland assessments being based upon ‘Productivity’ through a very convoluted torturous process.

Made for some very interesting ‘alliances’ between the players.

I can see the entire property tax issue becoming the proverbial ‘Third Rail of politics’ here in Illinois before long. It’s unexplainable, incomprehensible, and it’s big money for most property owners (except if you are JB; then you just break all the plumbing).

Comment by Judgment Day Monday, May 22, 17 @ 3:42 pm
So where’s he going to get the money to offset the lower property taxes. The money from the next state tax increase, the one that may or may not happen this year, appears to be already spoken for.

So Kennedy will be proposing another state income tax increase in less than two years? Or what?

Comment by Cassandra Monday, May 22, 17 @ 3:42 pm
Fair to middlin’ on many levels for many of the reasons already stated. If he can’t knock hell out of it in a controlled setting, how is he going to do it in more challenging circumstances. I don’t think he is. And that is why Dems are moving to JB.

Comment by Molly Maguire Monday, May 22, 17 @ 3:51 pm
Wow. That was painful to watch.

Comment by Shytown Monday, May 22, 17 @ 4:13 pm
wow, Pritzker people here in overdrive! Have you actually heard Chris Kennedy talk in person? he’s not off script. he’s long form thinking. I’m not a huge fan of this video, but the narrative that Kennedy can’t compose thoughts without being distracted is just bunk.

Comment by Amalia Monday, May 22, 17 @ 5:22 pm
Has anyone reminded Me. Kennedy and his campaign staff that the 10% number is only valid in Cook County? Don’t know how much they spent on this video, but if they’re smart, they won’t air it downstate.

Comment by Lynn S. Monday, May 22, 17 @ 6:02 pm
https://mises.org/library/chicago-tax-strike-1977

Comment by Time for Action Monday, May 22, 17 @ 7:09 pm
Finally got a chance to watch the video, and I have to agree with VanillaMan. It would have been better if it wasn’t Kennedy jump cuts; rather, show us some of the alleged impacts. He’s still got a problem with his message vs. the fact that we have 2 property tax systems in this state, so if he really wants to say or do something around property taxes, he’d be better off writing a guest editorial for all the Sunday papers. Probably cheaper, too. (And the Kennedys are notoriously cheap, which goes a long way towards explaining why Kennedy is so unwilling to put any of his own $$$ into his campaign. He wants the rest of us to pay for it, and some of us might actually do it.)

Comment by Lynn S. Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 9:23 am