Why are property taxes going up?

Once again real estate tax invoices have arrived in our mailboxes.

In view of the dreadful economic downturn, large declines in the value of homes, including foreclosures on many homes, high unemployment, and on and on, surely our real estate taxes will show an appropriate drop at such a time?

Instead, speaking for myself and many of my friends, I find my tax bill is up another $729 this year! That represents an overall increase of 4.7 percent, in a year when most people are doing their best to try to live within shrinking means.

I cannot adequately express my anger and disgust with our taxing systems and the apparently out-of-control spending habits of governmental agencies at all levels. The biggest offender, as is too often the case, is our local school district. We live in Geneva, and I find that Geneva School District 304 has increased its assessment on our home by $580 out of the $729 our bill has gone up this year.

That increase represents a jump of 5.7-percent over last year, which was in turn substantially higher also than the year before that!

Where in heck does this ever end! How can the taxing bodies justify continuing to jab the taxpayers to foot the bill for their lack of fiscal responsibility? As a businessman, before retiring to my "golden years," if I could not cut my expenses to at least a break-even point, I would become bankrupt and be forced out of business. Not a problem for governmental agencies, obviously, as they just spend and spend, and then load the costs onto the backs of the helpless taxpayers, who have no choice but to moan and groan and then pay or lose their homes!

Is there no leadership in our county, our schools or our state government with the courage to stand up and fight for sensible changes to this incredible mess?

Fred Cregier

Geneva