Rauner property tax freeze a bad idea

Rauner property tax freeze a bad idea

Lately, Bruce Rauner, the GOP candidate for governor, has been decrying the high property taxes in Illinois.

Well, I have news for Bruce. The highest property taxes are in the counties run by the Republicans. That's right, it's the Republicans in those counties who have been jacking up the taxes on our homes. The collar counties of Kane, DuPage, Lake and McHenry along with Kendall County have some of the highest property taxes in the country.

If you want to know where your tax money is going, take a look at your property tax bill. It's all spelled out for you. Education accounts for the largest portion. If Rauner is serious about doing something about the high property taxes, then he'd better find another way to fund education. His "plan" to freeze the property taxes, would be a disaster to our state. Not only would it not work, but it would put many communities in bankruptcy. Along with your schools, local property taxes also go toward the funding of your towns, cities, townships, libraries, fire districts, park districts and county government.

If you want to continue to have local government services, then freezing the property taxes is a very bad idea. Think about that the next time we have a large snow and the roads are covered. It's very handy to have the roads plowed and salted. Or, when you turn on the water faucet and you expect to have fresh clean water come out. Or, if your house is on fire, think about Rauner's tax plan and what you'd do if the fire department didn't come.

This "tax plan" is coming from the same guy who has moved his own money to the Cayman Islands to avoid paying his fair share of taxes.

Bill Sarto

Carpentersville