WoodfordTaxFacts.org - The Truth Detector

Can You See Me Now?

2010-05-27T07:04:00.002-05:00

For college students and their parents, the steady spike in tuition prices in recent decades has been not only troubling but mysterious: why on earth is tuition inflation double the general inflation rate? What’s behind these huge tuition bills: Massive legacy costs? Less public funding? The cost of acquiring real estate?

Let Those That Have (education) Ears, Hear . . .

2009-04-21T13:07:00.002-05:00

"According to this Deseret News article, University classrooms will be obsolete by 2020. BYU professor David Wiley envisions a world where students listen to lectures on iPods, and those lectures are also available online to everyone anywhere for free. Course materials are shared between universities, science labs are virtual, and digital textbooks are free. He says, 'Higher education doesn't

Why The Folks Are Angry.

2009-04-18T09:07:00.003-05:00

Is The U.S.A. The Next Zimbabwe?

2009-03-26T14:08:00.003-05:00

Coming (trust us) To A County Near You

2009-03-05T03:38:00.002-06:00

Tom Dashiell - thank you for clarifying things.

2009-02-03T10:51:00.004-06:00

We always reeled at what we thought was hyperbole and gross generalization when hearing folks speak of "Limousine Liberals". Perhaps we were wrong.We now have a poster boy for same.Where is the outrage over Mr. Tom Dashiell's income reporting "mistake"? And come to think of it, even 24/7, isn't a limo service for $124,000 per year a bit steep? Heck, We'd have found him one for half that.Full

Do You Want To Pay To Defend Blago?

2009-02-02T05:50:00.003-06:00

We recently outlined some notable union support in terms of financial contributions to Rod Blagojevich.Now, of course, we find out that Blago intends to use his campaign war chest to hire lawyers for his criminal legal defense.Is this the way you want your union dues to be spent? Perhaps you should let your local know that this isn't what you signed up for.

"Stimulus" $2 Billion for HeadStart; $50 Million For NASA

2009-01-30T16:57:00.005-06:00

As more industries continue to beg President Obama for money from the next $819 billion economic plan, NASA was largely left out of the latest stimulus package. Although Obama said the next $819 billion -- which was approved by the House -- will be another step towards other money packages, NASA was not granted $2 billion for space exploration and Orion development. NASA officials were dismayed

Let's Review Who Supported This Guy . . .

2009-01-29T06:35:00.003-06:00

Top contributors to Blagojevich were overwhelmingly from the labor sector. Unions made up five of his top ten contributors in 2002, three in 2004, seven in 2006 and six in 2008. Unions were also Blagojevich's top four contributors during his re-election campaign in 2006.The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union was the only contributor, union or non-union, to appear on Blagojevich's top 10

Is The U.N. Still Holding To That?

2009-01-27T16:14:00.003-06:00

Last year the U.N. reported that Iceland was the "best country to live in". You think they will change their minds this year?updated 11:48 a.m. CT, Mon., Jan. 26, 2009 function UpdateTimeStamp(pdt) { var n = document.getElementById("udtD"); if(pdt != '' && n && window.DateTime) { var dt = new DateTime(); pdt = dt.T2D(pdt); if(dt.GetTZ(pdt)) {n.innerHTML = dt.D2S(pdt,((''.

IL State Employee Retirement Pensions Severely Underfunded

2009-01-25T11:58:00.005-06:00

From the Illinois Review:Terry Savage lays out a dire scenario in the Sun-Times for those state lawmakers and Chicago city employees expecting a retirement pension. Here's a look at the dire situation for the retirement plans of state workers ranging from police to judges to university professors to members of the Illinois General Assembly. All are counting on generous state pensions, but

Confront High Property Tax Assessments

2009-01-24T11:23:00.005-06:00

by JOSH ECHOLSFalling property values could mean higher taxes. Higher home and property owners taxes are a nightmare to many. Municipalities unwilling to cut their budgets and reign in expenses are the reason for much of the dilemma.Often scare tactics of cuts in service are employed. A governor of NJ threatened to close the beaches and parks, even the casinos if his state sales tax was not

ICC Off On Another Borrowing Spree

2009-01-21T05:21:00.003-06:00

Let the Illinois Central College Board know how you feel about this travesty: ICC is off on another "keeping up with the Joneses" building spree. In this case, as I predicted, "the Joneses" is Heartland Community College and IVC.It's an arms race that no one can win. They all claim they must build to remain "competitive" and then show how "under taxed" their constituents are compared to the

Double Whammy for Tax Districts Next Year

2009-01-20T19:43:00.003-06:00

by Cal Skinner (Illinois Review) The rate of inflation has been announced for the year 2008. The chart to the right tells the tale. (Click to enlarge.) The Consumer Price Index increased only 0.1%. That's not 1%. That's 1/10 of of 1%. Worse even that the 1.1% for the twelve months I reported in December in Tax District Officials Will Say, “Oh, Bleep!” When They Read This With school districts

No Shoes Being Thrown in Africa

2009-01-13T07:18:00.003-06:00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - In her AIDS-scarred South African township, Sweetness Mzolisa leads a chorus of praise for George W. Bush that echoes to the deserts of Namibia, the hills of Rwanda and the villages of Ethiopia.Like countless Africans, Mzolisa looks forward to Barack Obama becoming America's first black president Jan 20. But — like countless Africans — Mzolisa says she will always be

BLAGO: 'I Will Fight To My Last Breath'...

2008-12-20T09:47:00.003-06:00

Talking Circus Dogs

2008-12-19T07:04:00.004-06:00

Politicians are like talking dogs in a circus: the fact that they existed was uncomonly interesting, but no sane person would actually believe what they said. - - - Alan Furst, 'Dark Star'

Bleepin' FBI . . .

2008-12-13T10:56:00.001-06:00

Rats! Foiled Again.

2008-12-11T18:23:00.001-06:00

Warden! Warden!

2008-12-10T18:39:00.001-06:00

Ready Another Cell For Another Illinois Governor

2008-12-09T10:38:00.003-06:00

The FBI has apparently taken the Governor and his chief of staff into custody.You know the rest. Blago seemed to think the vacant senate seat of Obama's is his personal chit. I think we now understand his and Durbin's "empathy" for Ryan and their support for a Bush pardon.I can't help but remember 2002 when this joker was hailed by the Illinois left (teachers, unions, minorities, etc.) as the

Wet and Wild in Woodford

2008-11-12T11:44:00.003-06:00

According to the Associated Press, the National Weather Service says this week's rainfall makes 2008 the wettest on record in central Illinois. Meteorologist James Auten works at the weather service office in Lincoln. Illinois. He says rainfall on Tuesday pushed this year's rainfall to more than 51 inches. Auten says that beats the 1927 record of 50.8 inches. These records have been kept since

Well, we warned you . . . the Illinois model taken national

2008-11-12T06:19:00.005-06:00

Over and over again we have tried to say, since before Obama was the annointed Democrat, "If you like Illinois politics and economics, you'll love Clinton/Obama".Illinois (never looked at nor analyzed by the press during the election cycle) has been the "beneficiary" of an Obamaesque scenario for years now. One party holds the house, senate, and governor's mansion (although the Governor prefers

ObamaLooey and QuickDraw McCain

2008-11-09T15:00:00.002-06:00

"Hooold On Thar, ObamaLooey!"

Obama's New LapTop

2008-11-08T11:50:00.004-06:00

Guest Commentary

2008-11-05T18:02:00.003-06:00

Don't Be Tempted [John J. Pitney Jr.] As we look to the next 2-4 years, we should keep in mind this passage from Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ: "A prophet is the one who, when everyone else despairs hopes. And when everyone else hopes, he despairs. You'll ask me why. It's because he has mastered the Great Secret: that the Wheel turns.”

Take Some Time Off - Vote!

2008-10-25T12:43:00.001-05:00

In the state of Illinois employees are allowed up to two hours paid time off to vote. An employee must apply for leave prior to election day. The employer must permit a two-hour absence from work if the employee’s working hours begin less than two hours after polls open and less than two hours before polls close. (10 Ill. Comp. Stat. Sections 5/7-42 and 10 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/17-15)

Uncle Sam's "Household Budget"

2008-10-25T11:16:00.002-05:00

Talk About Your Marriage Penalties!

2008-10-25T09:43:00.004-05:00

We have a question for the Obamaites: If "the rich" are now to be those earning over $200,000 per year and we must spread around more of their wealth, then shouldn't the married couple be deemed rich at the $400,000 level?Where did this $250,000 for a family come from?Talk about a marriage penalty! It could hold down the incidence of gay marriage.It simply points out how ridiculous arbitrary tax

Heads Up ! ! ! !

2008-10-24T05:33:00.002-05:00

A wind turbine lost one of it's blades the other day in Bureau County.Weren't we told this was impossibly unlikely?

How are Illinois Property Tax Assessments Determined?

2008-10-20T16:48:00.002-05:00

Illinois uses the valuation assessment process to make sure each property owner pays a fair share of the real estate taxes requested by local governmental taxing authorities such as school districts, cities and villages, park districts, library districts, forest preserve districts and counties.The goal is for each property -- or at least each residential property -- outside Cook County to be

Those with eyes to see; Those with ears to hear . . .

2008-10-20T09:06:00.005-05:00

Yes. We're back. We've been silent trying to let things play out politically trusting the common sense of the American people.These are critical times. There is the real possibility now that we will have a leftist president with leftist extreme majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. It may already be too late to stop some of the agendas already being primed and seeded. We think the most

Those Who Forget History . . .

2008-05-30T13:52:00.001-05:00

Stephen Colbertfrom Quotes of the Day"There's an old saying about those who forget history. I don't remember it, but it's good."

Obama (in Iowa?) Last Night

2008-05-21T07:51:00.003-05:00

(and we paraphrase) . . ."Nyaaaahh, nyaaaahh, Booo, Hoooo, I'm still ahead ..."

World Infant Mortality

2008-05-19T11:14:00.002-05:00

21,634 children under the age of one years will die today according to the U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/wp98001.html).This average does not account for "unusual natural disasters/wars". Nor, of course, does it take into account abortion rates.

One Illinoisan's Perspective On Property Taxes

2008-05-18T19:34:00.003-05:00

From a letter to the Northwest Herald, Crystal Lake, IL 60014: Outrageous property taxes To the Editor:My wife and I moved into our Woodstock retirement home more than two years ago. Last year’s property taxes were $5,099. This year’s were a whopping $7,259. That represents a jump of more than 40 percent.We had moved out of a huge, five-bedroom home in Arlington Heights

Breach of Faith

2008-05-14T20:44:00.002-05:00

As the promises have grown so have the unfunded liabilities:

If You Liked Elders, You'll Love Obama/Clinton

2008-05-14T10:14:00.006-05:00

Speaking Tuesday to the Urban League in Springfield, former Surgeon General of the United States Jocelyn Elders said there should be more comprehensive health education programs in schools, including programs that give young people information about contraception as well as promoting sexual abstinence. Elders said she looks at abstinence-only education as "almost child abuse". She says teens have

Fat tax break for felon

2008-05-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

It just gets better and better. This from the Chicago Sun Times yesterday:Key Rezko witness Stuart Levine saved $351,000 on property taxes over 11 yearsStuart P. Levine, the star prosecution witness in Tony Rezko's corruption trial, might be an admitted drug user and felon. But he's savvy when it comes to his property taxes. Levine found a way to save $351,715.12 over an 11-year span. And --

The Mill Is Big Business

2008-03-28T21:22:00.002-05:00

March 28th, 2008 courtesy Bruno Behrend Planned Parenthood Abortion Business Makes $1 Billion Profit for First Time The report shows an increase in the number of provided abortions from 264,943 in 2005 to 289,650 in 2006. Planned Parenthood reveals it has doubled “excess of revenue over expenses” funds from $55.7 million in 2005 to $112 million in 2006. Of concern to pro-life groups, Planned

Well, sure . . .

2008-03-28T20:03:00.006-05:00

"Those Bosnian snipers were definitely there . . . they were just really small . . . about this tall . . ."

Bond Issues Finally Explained!

2008-03-24T09:45:00.002-05:00

This pretty much sums up localities' thinking on most bond funded issues:

Democrat? Why Choose?

2008-03-18T07:26:00.001-05:00

Sub-Prime Losses By Company To Date

2008-03-16T20:16:00.002-05:00

MAIN SUB-PRIME LOSSES SO FAR Citigroup: $18bn Merrill Lynch: $14.1bn UBS: $13.5bn Morgan Stanley $9.4bn HSBC: $3.4bn Bear Stearns: $3.2bn Deutsche Bank: $3.2bn Bank of America: $3bn Barclays: $2.6bn Royal Bank of Scotland:

1,100 Gallons per Gallon!

2008-03-15T13:45:00.002-05:00

A study on bio fuels and water published by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) provides the following estimate: For Iowa, in the heart of corn production in the U.S., the water use (associated with crop water requirement) for producing a gallon of ethanol has been calculated to be between 1081 and 1121 gallons of water. However in fully irrigated agriculture, crop water use

Illinois Property Tax Primer

2008-03-15T08:37:00.003-05:00

From Suburban Chicago, the Daily Herald reports:As a homeowner, you have a lot of responsibilities. From mortgage payments to home improvements, finally calling a place "home" can be both exciting and overwhelming. This tax season, we take a look at property taxes, a local tax on homeowners based on the value of the property they own. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, homeowners

Obama's Illinois Rise From The Inside

2008-03-07T10:22:00.003-06:00

From Texas comes the story of Obama in Illinois. This is a must read for the rest of the country. Many of us here in this state already know the story.

Perfect Home For Eureka's New Pool!

2008-03-05T05:10:00.004-06:00

Dear City of Eureka,We believe we have found the perfect addition to your Municipal Pool/'Greater Eureka' Park District plans. We believe this could be picked up for a song. You could move it up from Pekin, subdivide the land it was on, and then annex that into a new park district.All we would require is a small fee for a 'feasibility study'.Sincerely,WoodfordTaxFacts.Org

Eureka Budget Priorities?

2008-03-04T10:00:00.006-06:00

The city of Eureka just approved a tentative $3 millions plus (with a deficit) budget. Included in the budget is, of course, $25,000 for a 'feasibility study' (read sales brochure) for a municipal swimming pool.The mayor's new salary is to be $5,000 per year and the clerk's new salary is to be $4,500 annually. So the pool study would pay the mayor and clerk for some 2 and 1/2 years.The pool study

Smoke and Promises

2008-02-20T14:52:00.008-06:00

Why are baby boomers concerned about their impending retirement?They've been over promised. Why do our kids think they should have everything Britney Spears has and 'someone' should do something about global poverty and freeze environmental conditions as they were 50 years ago?.They've been over promised.Why are some folks in mortgage trouble from the past couple of years?They've been over

Pre-Barack Pride?

2008-02-20T08:07:00.004-06:00

I defy Michelle Obama to watch one of those Space Shuttle landings (I'm sure she never has) like this morning, or a Shuttle launch and not feel pride in America.I know she's a little young to remember with appreciation Apollo 8 circling the moon Christmas eve of 1968.I suppose she was not impressed with the way Americans responded in the wake of the 9-11 attacks.I doubt she was proud when the

U.S. Senators as U.S. Presidents

2008-02-17T11:42:00.006-06:00

Barring something completely unforeseen it appears as if our next President will be a sitting United States Senator. Only two men were ever elected President directly from the U.S. Senate. The first was Warren G. Harding, who served in the Senate from March 4, 1915, until his resignation, effective January 13, 1921, having been elected President. The other sitting Senator to ascend to the

We Just Love This Guy. Bookmark His Site!

2008-02-17T00:52:00.001-06:00

from Coyote Blog by CoyoteOK, I guess I have to admit that there are two Americas: The one that no one wants to live in any more and the one where everyone is moving to. Unfortunately, it appears that our next president will be from Illinois or New York, two of the eight states the local government has screwed up so bad that no one wants to do business there any more. I guess both Hillary and

Assessing Peoria County Property Assessments

2008-02-15T22:30:00.003-06:00

Merle Widmer weighs in on Peoria Area Property Taxes:click here.

The Past Is, Like, Sooo - Yesterday

2008-02-14T16:42:00.004-06:00

Man, this is so Funny -click here for the audio of a Rush Limbaugh's fake ad for Obama.There's another one here.The gist is "the future not the past", "change is good", "hope is good" and stuff like that there.

Moonies For Obama

2008-02-14T08:41:00.003-06:00

This is starting to get scary. In case you haven't guessed, that is Obama that she's mooning over.

Quote Of The Day

2008-02-12T16:32:00.000-06:00

Sir Winston Churchillfrom Quotes of the Day "Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."

And The (book sales) Votes Are In!

2008-02-11T09:04:00.000-06:00

According to Nielsen BookScan, which tracks about 70 percent of industry sales, Hillary Clinton's Living History averaged around 1,000 sales a week in December and early January, compared to more than 7,000 a week for Obama's Audacity of Hope and more than 2,000 for his other book, Dreams From My Father.

Another Prong In The Fork

2008-02-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

In another thinly veiled step toward creating a "Greater Eureka Park District", the Eureka City Council approved $25,000 for the "study" of building a swimming and water entertainment facility. Did the city of Eureka ever fix all of the water and sewer infrastructure problems which were plaguing the system a few years ago? It seems to us that there were over 5 miles of mains and pipes to be

Castle or Yoke?

2008-02-08T18:53:00.000-06:00

Guest Editorial: How can a man’s home be his castle, if a man’s house is a heavy yoke around his neck?from The Peoria Chronicle by Dennis W. DillardIn his work, “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville notes, “A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it,” and he questions whether a free society can long survive that discovery.

High Stakes Poker . . .

2008-02-06T20:00:00.000-06:00

- cartoon by Gary McCoy

Please, Don't Forget . . .

2008-02-04T15:50:00.000-06:00

You Think That's Big?

2008-02-04T06:05:00.000-06:00

The Woodford County wind turbines are rated some where around 1.6 Megawatts per unit and just under 400 feet tall. "That's Nothin'" say the French. Or would is be "c'est zero"?The world’s largest wind turbine is now the Enercon E-126. This turbine has a rotor blade width of 413 feet. The E-126 is a more sophisticated version of the E-112, formerly the world’s largest wind turbine and rated at 6

Caroline Schertz "Objects" To PTELL

2008-02-01T11:13:00.000-06:00

Caroline Schertz "Explains" opposition To PTELL In this video, Ms. Schertz (running for reelection to District 3 - Woodford County Board) gives her rationale for voting last August to prevent PTELL from appearing before the voters this Tuesday. For more information on this vote, please look here. Don't forget to vote the 5th (if you haven't voted early)!

Jim Irvin and Bob Huschen Argue For County Board PTELL Vote

2008-02-01T10:21:00.000-06:00

Here are some comments from the August Board meeting recommending that the Woodford County Board put PTELL before the voters next Tuesday.Click here for Mr. Irvin's comments. Click here for Mr. Huschen's comments.The Board did not comply. Please see the prior post for more information.

Gary Joseph/Tom Karr "Explain" Opposition To PTELL

2008-01-31T07:24:00.000-06:00

Gary Joseph (running for reelection to District 2 - Woodford County Board) and Tom Karr (running for reelection to District 3 - Woodford County Boar) give the rationales for their votes last August preventing PTELL from appearing before the voters this Tuesday in this video. For more information on this vote, please look here.Coming up next, the Caroline Schertz (running for reelection to

"Perplexed" in Linn Township

2008-01-30T22:56:00.000-06:00

A reader replied to a previous posting: Perplexed in linn township said... We moved here and bought a 100yr old house on 1 1/2 acres in the Washburn/Lowpoint area in Ocotber of 06. This house was last sold in 1990 . Our 06 tax bill was $1400 and some change. We've just received a notice of revised tax assessment . The previous equalized value assessed in 06 was 23,500 and there had been NO work

Agflation And The End Of Cheap Food

2008-01-29T13:53:00.000-06:00

This from the 12-06-2007 print edition of "The Economist":Rising food prices are a threat to many; they also present the world with an enormous opportunityFOR as long as most people can remember, food has been getting cheaper and farming has been in decline. In 1974-2005 food prices on world markets fell by three-quarters in real terms. Food today is so cheap that the West is battling gluttony

How The "Simulus" Package Will Work

2008-01-27T10:43:00.000-06:00

From the Wall Street Journal:

Woodford County Factoids

2008-01-08T07:14:00.000-06:00

According to Bert Sperling, The median home value in Woodford County, IL, is $191,500. Home appreciation is 0.22% over the last year. The median age of Woodford County, IL, real estate is 36 years.Woodford County, IL Apartments and RentalsRenters make up 16.12% of the Woodford County, IL, population. 5.12% of houses and apartments in Woodford County, IL, are unoccupied (vacancy rate).Woodford,

Iowa's "One-Two-Threes"

2008-01-04T05:27:00.000-06:00

The Iowa "caucuses" are an interesting thing to behold, aren't they?The Democrat "caucus" is really more interesting than the Republican Iowa "Straw" poll in that the Democrat process involves debate amongst the "caucus-goers" whereas the Republican demonstration is simply a pretend "vote".Let's examine the Democrat 1-2-3 results:Barrack Obama - attorney, one term U.S. Senator (running against

N.Y. Times Says End Property Tax

2007-12-18T11:22:00.000-06:00

John Brady, Op-Ed. contributor to the Regional/N.Y. edition of the Times says, among other things:The property tax is a concept whose better days are behind it. It concentrates on one asset while ignoring income. Two people in similar homes pay the same tax — even if one lives on Social Security and the neighbor makes a huge salary and has millions in stocks . . .The most obvious drawback of the

What Kind Of Way Is This To Fund K-12/Community College?

2007-12-14T14:43:00.000-06:00

Look at what has become of a much more major tax to most people than income taxes:Multiplier applied in two counties; could mean higher tax bills Now look at how things have changed only for the worse over the past 30 years:Property tax for public schools BY DAVID V, MAY A lawyer and civil engineer, he is project administrator for Walsh Brothers Construction, Chicago. THE SQUEEZE is on for

"Land Stewardship" Program Still A Question Mark

2007-12-05T06:55:00.000-06:00

Illinois landowners still cannot sign up for the conservation program that will let them pay reduced property taxes in exchange for managing woodlands, prairies and wetlands for wildlife. Hasn't anyone told Springfield that the year is nearly over?The law was to take effect immediately upon signing by the Ayatollah , erhh, we mean the Governor, on the first of October. So far, no sign-up is

Happy Hanukkah

2007-12-05T06:48:00.000-06:00

The Jewish Festival of Lights is upon us.Enjoy.

Jethro Bodine Turns 70 Years Old!

2007-12-04T11:30:00.000-06:00

On Dec 4, 1937 Max Baer jr. was born in Oakland, California to the former heavyweight boxing champ, Max Baer (see the June 3, 2005 entry for an interesting take on the real Cinderella Man History or check out this article defending Max Baer Sr.).

Illinois Anniversary of Statehood Today

2007-12-03T11:48:00.000-06:00

Illinois joined the Union 189 years ago today - that's 1818 for the numerically challenged.Remember when you were proud to be from Illinois? Today it is almost an embarrassment.