Friday, April 25, 2008
Can't Stand the Suspense?
McHenry County Treasurer Bill LeFew's office has posted all the tax bills on the internet.
There are three ways to find your tax bill.Of course, virtually no one knows their tax identification number, so go to Plan B or Plan C.
I typed in my address using Crystal Lake.
“No parcels found.”
I changed the town to Lakewood.
“No parcels found.”I decided to try my name, “Cal Skinner.”
“No parcels found.”
I tried my and my wife's name.
“No parcels found.”
Getting a bit perturbed, I typed in “Skinner.”
I got all the Skinner homeowners in the county and “Calvin” came in on top. All fourteen.That's the first time I can remember benefiting from alphabet discrimination.
No, the second. The list of blogs on Illinoize alphabetizes with the first names of the bloggers, putting me near the top of the list.
$8,537.”
I guess I should say, “$8,537!”
That's a big bill.Up $113.
But, it would have been up more had I not entered official gizzerhood.
Assessed value up 5.2%.
But because of the “Elderly Homestead Exemption” of $3,500, our taxable assessed valuation only increased 2.5%.
Because the value of property over the three-year period used to determine the assessment increased more than the Consumer Price Index, my tax rate decreased 7.71 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That's puts tax districts with a tax rate limit further under their limit.
The better to make up for Mayor Aaron Shepley's tax increment financing tax shifts onto to those of us not living in the three business corridor TIF districts he has created.
So, thanks all you younger folks and business owners.
But, $8,500 is still a lot of money.
And you wonder why I bird dog the avaricious local tax districts.
There's part of the answer.
That, plus the fun of watching decent people morph into “officials” to whom people increasing suck up as they are perceived to gain power. Too many get to acting SO important, so above the people who elected them.
Been there.
Tried not to do that three times. Tough not to though.
Interesting phenomenon.
Labels: 275 Meridian Street, Alphabet Discrimination, Bill LeFew, Illinoize, McHenry County Treasurer, Real Estate Assessments, Real Estate Tax, Tax Bill
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Reaction to CTA /RTA Bailout Analysis
Hosted by Rich Miller, Illinoize is a blog on which he allows various folks with political thoughts to share their work.Miller took note of my discovery that passing the $385 million subsidy for the Chicago Transit Authority and the RTA would amount to $30 for every man, woman and child and could be used politically against any supporter living outside of the six-county Chicago metropolitan area. (And, maybe within, now that I think about it.)
Here’s what he said on his superblog Capitol Fax Blog:
* To get a small idea of how politically volatile the new bailout proposal is, read this commentary by former state Rep. Cal Skinner…Whatever you may think of Cal, he’s right.
Say you are from Downstate, also known as anything outside of the six-county Chicago metropolitan area served by the Regional Transportation Authority.
$385 million [GRF transit bailout] divided by the state’s population of 12,831,970 (Commerce Department figure) is what?
$30.
So, an opponent could send a mailing to a Downstate legislator’s district saying anyone who voted for this deal voted to force a family of four to send $120 to Chicago.
Or robo calls could be made. Even cheaper.
In his Capitol Fax, Miller wrote:
As former Republican state Rep. Cal Skinner points out, the state bailout of the Chicago area’s transit systems represents about $30 for every man, woman and child in Illinois. That’ll go over well with Downstaters, I’m sure. Not. I’ll have a link to Skinner’s analysis at the blog.
Labels: Capitol Fax Blog, Chicago Transit Authority, CTA, Illinoize, Regional Transportation Authority, Rich Miller, RTA
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tribune Quotes from Vrdolyak Article, Too
First, I was surprised to find what I wrote about Ed Vrdolyak quoted by Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times.Monday, I opened up the op-ed page to read Dennis Bryne’s weekly column and discovered another part of the article printed on the same page.
Imagine that.
Of course, Kristin Samuelson found this on Illinoize and not McHenry County Blog.
Oh, well.
Labels: Chicago Tribune, Ed Vrdolyak, Illinoize
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Vrdolyak Comments Reprtinted in Chicago Sun-Times
Imagine my surprise when I opened up the Controversy section of Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times and finding my words in top position in a page 2 column entitled, lightningrod
5 TAKES ON
INDICTMENT OF
ED VRDOLYAK
Labels: Chicago Sun-Times, Ed Vrdolyak, Illinoize
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Comments on Availability of Sex Offender Work Places
Over at Illinois Review, where I also posted the piece there were more comments:
Comments
I think it depends on the offense. If it was a 19 year old with a 16 year old, then he deserves a second chance. If it was a 35 year old with a 9 year old, why is he even out of jail? Rapist? Same question.
I do think the system should be set up differently. Pedophiles and Rapists in one category, young adult men, who thought it it was ok to date a 16 year old ( and who may have consented, but her parents pressed charges) in another.
I do check the sex offender list as I have two young girls at home. I know there are some not too far from me. I let a friend know that one lived a few doors from her. It's a scary world we live in, and wackos are everywhere.
As far as your question regarding ok jobs: As I stated earlier, depends on the actual crime. But rapists or pedophiles? Garbage man? sure, Retail? Not if changing clothes are involved. Not toy stores. No store where children would be the main customer. Physical therapist? Do you think someone with sex issues should be involved in a job where they touch people all day?
In a perfect world pedophiles and rapists would never get out of jail. Studies have shown that most are repeat offenders. Why do we let them out to offend again?
Ok we tell everyone where a registered sex offender works and so maybe many companies won't want to hire someone because of all the negative publicity. So I have a questions for the fear generating politicians, exactly where do these people to to live and work in peace? We tell these people they have to undergo therapy which actually works but only if they can return to society, then we do everything we can to destroy these people. But then fear generates votes doesn't it?
This is disgusting harassment against people who have paid their debt to society.
It's disgusting harrassment when a guy has molested/raped a 10 year old, serves 5 years of a 10 year sentence (got good behavior in jail because there were no kiddies to molest in prison) and is now free to molest again?
When the punishment is severe enough for the crime, and they actually do the time and have proven to be rehabilitated, then I'll feel bad for the perverts.
Here are some quick statistics from the U.S Dept. of Justice:
"Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994 - Presents, for the first time, data on the rearrest, reconviction, and reimprisonment of 9,691 male sex offenders, including 4,295 child molesters, who were tracked for 3 years after their release from prisons in 15 States in 1994.
The 9,691 are two-thirds of all the male sex offenders released from prisons in the United States in 1994. The study represents the largest follow-up ever conducted of convicted sex offenders following discharge from prison and provides the most comprehensive assessment of their behavior after release.
Highlights include the following:
Within 3 years following their release, 5.3% of sex offenders (men who had committed rape or sexual assault) were rearrested for another sex crime.
On average the 9,691 sex offenders served 3 1/2 years of their 8-year sentence.
Compared to non-sex offenders released from State prisons, released sex offenders were 4 times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime.
The 9,691 released sex offenders included 4,295 men who were in prison for child molesting."
Sounds like a swell bunch of guys. Let's get them jobs at our local Chuck E. Cheese.
There were also comments on Illinoize, another place I put the article:
Bill Baar said...
I think the theory here is the impluse to criminal sexual behavior is hard-wired. The offender can't keep it in check, can't be rehabiliated, and therefore the public has a right to know.
I don't have a clue what's the balance here. I know I appreciate knowing who these guys are.
Pat Hickey said...
CPD and the Cook County Sheriff have a good file available to the public. There are a number of sex-offenders only a blockk or two from my home.
Our neighbors tend to keep an eye out for one anothers kids and there are a good number of law enforcement professionals living in the neighborhood.
http://www.chicagopolice.org/
Anonymous said...
Pot, meet kettle.
DuPageSaint said...
For a change you are a voice of reason. I certainly carry no brief for these guys, and perhaps the public should know, but how is an ex offender supposed to live? If they require it sentence them to 80 years but if they serve their sentence they have done their time. Watch them, do what you can but if you deny them work and a place to live, keep them in jail. And do not play games with the civil committments
Milton said...
Sex Offenders find their prey within (i.e, relatives friends etc.)
These list do not help.
Labels: Illinois Review, Illinois State Police, Illinoize, Sex Offender
