Jim Tobin, A Friend Of Liberty (1945-2021)
May 2nd, 2022
By: Christina Tobin
Sometimes a single man or woman has to stand up for principle, just so t[...]
Taxpayers Oppose Huge Oak Park School District 97 Property Tax Increase Referendum
CHICAGO–The president of Illinois’ largest taxpayer organization, working with taxpayers in Oak Park School Dist. 97, urged voters in Dist. 97 to vote “No” on the Tuesday, April 5, 2011, property-tax-increase referendum.
“This would be a gigantic property-tax-increase if passed,” said Jim Tobin, President of National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI). “The Dist. 97 flacks are bamboozling voters in the district by telling them the property-tax-increase will be ‘only’ $224, but according to the Chicago Tribune, the actual tax increase would be a back-breaking $756 on a $600,000 home.”
“While Oak Park taxpayers struggle to make ends meet, Dist. 97 teachers work in a privileged environment of high-paying, guaranteed jobs, 3 months a year off, short work-days, and early retirement, all at an extremely high cost to the hardworking taxpayers of Oak Park. The days of special deals for teachers must end.”
“There is no need to start a bread line for Dist. 97 teachers and administrators,” said Tobin. “As of June 30, 2010, Administrator Constance Collins’ salary was an opulent $236,030. Librarian Lili Savage pulled in $143,498 a year. You can make book on that.”
“Art teacher Paul Stoch stenciled $135,707 into his checkbook for his 9-month year, and middle school math teacher George Rogers’ salary computed to $138,100.”
“Teacher unions prefer that taxpayers still think public school teachers are ‘underpaid.’ When they find out how much money these ‘public servants’ are raking in, they are not in the mood to raise their own property taxes to increase the already-lavish salaries teachers and administrators are getting for nine months of employment a year.”
