Sunday, March 12, 2006
Northwest Herald Confirms Developers & Vendors Financing District 300 Tax Hikers
Voters should be pleased that the Northwest Herald has run an article outlining the financing of District 300’s tax hike committee...before the election.
Reporter Allison Smith did a lot of research back to 2000 on those tax hike committees, plus Jack Roeser, whose fortune came from Carpentersville’s Otto Engineering.
Strangely, the article starts with Roeser, who told her is spending $30,000 this year to fight the referendums. If accurate, that means the tax hikers will outspend Roeser by 5-1, assuming the campaign started since last July. (The tax hikers have $143,000 available for this campaign counting contributions collected and its July 1st check book balance.)
Here’s Smith’s rather stunning finding of the amount spent to convince District 300 voters to raise their taxes since 2000:
(Chicago newspapers would hint at “pay-to-play,” if it found a similar relationship in Governor Rod Blagojevich’s administration.)
It is interesting to see that McHenry County Blog’s reporting of the campaign contributions of developers and District 300 vendors has put a damper on the tax hike committee’s fund raising efforts. The tax hike committee spokesman Nancy Zettler
Too bad that it took Allison Smith’s first story and the publication of McHenry County Blog to achieve that goal over 30 years after the bill was passed.
Yours truly is quoted in the article:
Reporter Allison Smith did a lot of research back to 2000 on those tax hike committees, plus Jack Roeser, whose fortune came from Carpentersville’s Otto Engineering.
Strangely, the article starts with Roeser, who told her is spending $30,000 this year to fight the referendums. If accurate, that means the tax hikers will outspend Roeser by 5-1, assuming the campaign started since last July. (The tax hikers have $143,000 available for this campaign counting contributions collected and its July 1st check book balance.)
Here’s Smith’s rather stunning finding of the amount spent to convince District 300 voters to raise their taxes since 2000:
Since 2000, housing developers, staff unions, district vendors, residents, and others have contributed $425,000 to various district pro-referendum movements – registered under a couple of different names – in District 300.The Northwest Herald reports that all but $30,000 of the tax hikers' cash has come from developers this year. “At least” $13,000 more has come from district vendors, including the District 300 architect and construction manager.
(Chicago newspapers would hint at “pay-to-play,” if it found a similar relationship in Governor Rod Blagojevich’s administration.)
It is interesting to see that McHenry County Blog’s reporting of the campaign contributions of developers and District 300 vendors has put a damper on the tax hike committee’s fund raising efforts. The tax hike committee spokesman Nancy Zettler
said media coverage and online commentary about her group's outreach to local builders and real estate agents made some of them wary.So, it appears that disclosure of campaign contributions beyond the State Board of Elections web site can do what legislators who proposed it wanted.
"Some of the publicity that comes out from 'that group' on the other side gives the erroneous perception that the developers are a front for the district," she said. "They're gun-shy now."
Too bad that it took Allison Smith’s first story and the publication of McHenry County Blog to achieve that goal over 30 years after the bill was passed.
Yours truly is quoted in the article:
"Growth does not pay its part of the way," Skinner said. "And these contributions prove it."
Comments:
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While the DAILY HERALD is out there doing hard hitting expose' articles about (1.) the tax-to-the-max so-called "secret" loophole that allowed Districts to KNOWINGLY take more than they promise to residents in referendum campaigns and (2.) the "Broken Bonds" series that reveals ridiculous financing choices that take more money than needed from taxpayers, the NORTHWEST HERALD's slant on (ex.) the D300 referendums has been rather "gentle". Instead of remembering what they have had to say about omitted revenue or revised projections, I only remember the human interest slant that usually bled through their coverage.***
It is interesting that this new article, while it does address finances, starts with Mr. Roeser. For all of his personal success and separating the side issue of his personal political views, Mr. Roeser, said VERY respectfully, is "small potatoes" compared to the behemoth school kingdom, its political influence and its financial resources.
It could have been a hard hitting article about the fact that taxpayers are the "little guys" up against the big business bucks of the school industry and the businesses that depend on the school industry for profit.
I want to give the NWH credit and a passing grade for the piece. It's hard to do that when you believe they are missing the bigger point of the "assignment".
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*** The NORTHWEST HERALD used to have an excellent reporter/columnist named Steve Brosinski. Since he has been gone, the NWH coverage has been soft in areas that need more attention. I don't know if it's a change in management or influence from advertisers, however, many readers miss Steve Brosinski's input.
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I thank Cal Skinner for following the contributions angle with regard to school referendums.
If more private business owners like Mr. Roeser paid attention to the basic business contracts/business decisions and management philosophy in the School Industry, the system wouldn't be bankrupting itself. Sticking strictly to matters of business in this comment, I believe that most private business owners would be appalled at what's been going on for decades. Separating emotion from reality, America's student "product" shouldn't be behind that of countries that have done so much more with less resources. Mr. Roeser, thank you for trying to help.
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It is interesting that this new article, while it does address finances, starts with Mr. Roeser. For all of his personal success and separating the side issue of his personal political views, Mr. Roeser, said VERY respectfully, is "small potatoes" compared to the behemoth school kingdom, its political influence and its financial resources.
It could have been a hard hitting article about the fact that taxpayers are the "little guys" up against the big business bucks of the school industry and the businesses that depend on the school industry for profit.
I want to give the NWH credit and a passing grade for the piece. It's hard to do that when you believe they are missing the bigger point of the "assignment".
-----------
*** The NORTHWEST HERALD used to have an excellent reporter/columnist named Steve Brosinski. Since he has been gone, the NWH coverage has been soft in areas that need more attention. I don't know if it's a change in management or influence from advertisers, however, many readers miss Steve Brosinski's input.
--------------
I thank Cal Skinner for following the contributions angle with regard to school referendums.
If more private business owners like Mr. Roeser paid attention to the basic business contracts/business decisions and management philosophy in the School Industry, the system wouldn't be bankrupting itself. Sticking strictly to matters of business in this comment, I believe that most private business owners would be appalled at what's been going on for decades. Separating emotion from reality, America's student "product" shouldn't be behind that of countries that have done so much more with less resources. Mr. Roeser, thank you for trying to help.
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