Too many units of government in Illinois

Illinois' shocking number of types of government and units of government, a tax crisis. In all, Illinois taxpayers are funding 45 types of government that have a total of 8,923 units with taxing authority, the reason why Illinois taxpayers are paying the nation's highest state and local taxes.

Can the governor, or the 59 senators and 118 representatives, explain why we are taxed for a planning agency, four tuberculosis sanitarium districts, two electrical agencies, three museum districts, five joint action water agencies, eight public health districts, 10 solid waste agencies, fourteen port districts or 25 exposition and civic center auditorium authorities. Of course they can't explain this, no one can.

Can the governor, or the senators and representatives, explain the 21st century value of townships, which were established in the mid-1800s. This cannot be overlooked for tax savings.

About 36% of Illinois' 8,923 units of government are on township tax rolls. There are 1,429 townships, 1,391 township road districts, 334 township multi-tax assessment districts and 26 township cemetery districts.

Forty-five types of government? A political tar pit of corruption, cronyism, nepotism, patronage and waste. Shameful.

Bob Anderson

Wonder Lake