advertisement

Taxes crushing home ownership

I am taking my turn, picking up a pen in a succession of bitter property taxpayers. The payments required to live in my home, sans mortgage, for "essential government services" now far exceeds what I paid 20 years ago for mortgage and taxes combined.

It is true when they say it's my "fair share" because most other people are being abused too. It's the nature of socialism in Illinois: take from many and give to a privileged few. While those who benefit are comfortable, many others are experiencing a lower standard of living.

Due to the sorry tax milieu in the Mundelein area, a venerable community asset and a wonderful, excellent school has been forced to close - Santa Maria del Popolo. It is no longer affordable for most families. Can this be progress?

The future will prove it an immeasurable loss to the village and to our children.

Increasingly outrageous tax levies, and assessments that don't follow decreases in property values, combine to make confiscatory tax bills. And this is in an economy with declining or stagnant private-sector incomes. Will we allow it to continue?

We don't really own our homes. We just occupy them at the government's pleasure.

Glenn Garamoni

Ivanhoe