CHICAGO | General Discussions

[Notyrview]

Originally Posted by Near North Resident

what in the hell are you talking about?

I’m celebrating your tax dollars going to benefit the beautiful tapestry of races, ethnicities and sexual orientations that make up our wonderful country.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I agree, it's dumb because cities shouldn't be providing mental healthcare. The Federal government needs to provide funds at a national level.

I agree with this, although sometimes ad hoc solutions are necessary when the federal (or state) government won't step up. Rauner's choice not to pay mental health providers for a long time had a pretty devastating effect on social service agencies.

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I agree, it's dumb because cities shouldn't be providing mental healthcare. The Federal government needs to provide funds at a national level.

That's why Carter signed the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980. Unfortunately, Reagan wasn't so keen on helping those with mental health issues:

His administration repealed the Mental Health Systems Act within its first year, converted direct funding into block grants for the states, and cut federal mental-health spending by one-third. No one picked up the slack.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

You could always buy less house.

That'd be great if there was any semblance of sanity to how taxes are assessed in Chicago. My taxes on a totally gut rehabbed six flat on a double corner lot, way nicer looking building, with a mechanics garage are about $1500/yr lower than an ugly six flat directly across the street that hasn't been touched since the 1970s in terms of updates and is basically under the L. Buy less building, get much higher taxes. It's all a bunch of gibberish, seeming totally random values which of course will only be corrected if you hire a politically connected attorney.

Originally Posted by Notyrview

I’m celebrating your tax dollars going to benefit the beautiful tapestry of races, ethnicities and sexual orientations that make up our wonderful country.

Notyrview comes into the conversation like:

• Video Link

Any of y'all want some Kool aid???

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

That's why Carter signed the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980. Unfortunately, Reagan wasn't so keen on helping those with mental health issues:

Regarding your link, I hope the ballot initiative is not a stealth attempt at funding the Cook County Jail!

[Notyrview]

Psst... Hey racists...I’ve got some delicious Jonestown Kool aid for ya. I promise, ya won’t have to pay anymore taxes after. The country will continue to brown though

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

I agree with this, although sometimes ad hoc solutions are necessary when the federal (or state) government won't step up. Rauner's choice not to pay mental health providers for a long time had a pretty devastating effect on social service agencies.

I think we generally agree. But blaming Rauner for decades of fiscal mismanagement by both Democrats and Republicans in Illinois is something I refuse to do.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I think we generally agree. But blaming Rauner for decades of fiscal mismanagement by both Democrats and Republicans in Illinois is something I refuse to do.

Do you also refuse to blame Rauner for his other numerous idiocies, that are absolutely his? Just because someone inherited a mess, doesn't mean they aren't culpable, especially when they exacerbate problems..

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by sentinel

Do you also refuse to blame Rauner for his other numerous idiocies, that are absolutely his? Just because someone inherited a mess, doesn't mean they aren't culpable, especially when they exacerbate problems..

If you give examples I'm sure I can answer. But my primary issue while voting for Governor of Illinois at this point is breaking the unholy public employee stranglehold of the state. So Rauner got my vote, twice now.

[SIGSEGV]

I appreciate what Rauner is trying to do but he's ineffective and does things that are more mean-spirited than helpful. Refusing to pay social service providers is not how to go about things.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

the unholy public employee union stranglehold

You mean the "unholy union":


• Video Link

[the urban politician]

^ Best political commercial I've seen in a long time

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Best political commercial I've seen in a long time

Love how it just shows chubby jowls so we know it's JB...

[left of center]

I for one fine with taxes overall, they are the price we pay for civilization.

However, its not hard to see that in Illinois at least (as well as the city of Chicago and Cook county), there is a sizable amount of tax revenue that isn't exactly spent in the best interest of the taxpaying public. A good amount of money goes to politicians pockets (pay to play, nepotism, corruption, etc), double dipping pensioners, let alone the vast amount that doesn't go towards state services at all, but towards debt service for the rapidly rising state debt. Decades of politicians underfunding pensions is now coming home to roost, and our generation has to unfairly pay for the greed of previous generations.

And instead of changing behavior from Springfield, we get the same tone deaf rhetoric thrown at us time and time again, that taxes need to go up. It's gotten so bad, its driving people out of the state. I'd like for the state assembly to all take a collective pay cut to acknowledge their incapacity to rule before they force another tax hike on the voting public again.

[the urban politician]

I’ve said it for a long time: the Baby Boomers are the worst generation the US has ever seen.

From a very young age they were entitled bitches. They were a pain in the ass for the generation that preceded them, and due to their self-centered behavior they will cause pain for several generations after.

All they wanted to do was party from age 16 onward, and every one else has to pay the tab.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

That'd be great if there was any semblance of sanity to how taxes are assessed in Chicago. My taxes on a totally gut rehabbed six flat on a double corner lot, way nicer looking building, with a mechanics garage are about $1500/yr lower than an ugly six flat directly across the street that hasn't been touched since the 1970s in terms of updates and is basically under the L. Buy less building, get much higher taxes. It's all a bunch of gibberish, seeming totally random values which of course will only be corrected if you hire a politically connected attorney.



Notyrview comes into the conversation like:

• Video Link

Any of y'all want some Kool aid???

Hired an attorney and yeah...wow...I was being overtaxed. Though when it comes to schools or mental health, I can get on board with incremental increases. Just as long as I know exactly where it’s going

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

If you give examples I'm sure I can answer. But my primary issue while voting for Governor of Illinois at this point is breaking the unholy public employee stranglehold of the state. So Rauner got my vote, twice now.

What are your thoughts on the Quincy Veterans Home mismanagement? The Rauner team hid the truth and lied about their actions, while 13 veterans died.

How about the Sterigenics plant that was spewing cancer-causing chemicals into the air while Rauner's team did nothing again?

These are examples of poor management, and that is Rauner's fatal flaw as a politician (see also: firing his entire team and then being forced to fire their replacements weeks later). This doesn't even get into his moves to strangle state universities and social service organizations.

[the urban politician]

Every automobile on the planet also spreads cancer causing materials.

There is an inexhaustible supply of things out there to pin on a politician.

You know what has proved impossible, though? Ridding Illinois of Madigan’s influence. And as long as gullible people fall into the Sterigenics trap, the most evil man in Illinois history stays in control and drags this State down further. Ridding ourselves of Madigan is the issue of our generation.

[ardecila]

I don’t think it’s possible to rid Illinois of Madigan’s influence through the political process. Just like Mayor Daley, who he learned from, Madigan keeps his hands clean but continues to pull all the strings. He can’t be toppled from within his own party, and one token Republican in the governor’s mansion can’t do it either. All Rauner could do is hold the budget hostage and hope that voters blamed Madigan. But of course, that was never gonna happen because Madigan only appears on a ballot for less than 1% of Illinoisan voters, while Rauner appears on every ballot.

Maybe a #metoo accusation could hurt Madigan, but I don’t think he’s personally guilty of any harassment even if it did occur on his staff. Plus he’s a Democrat, so he could get away with that kind of stuff like Bill Clinton, many feminists will make a utilitarian decision that an abuser (or an enabler of abuse) that nevertheless works for feminism-friendly policies, is a better choice than a Republican who works against feminist-friendly policies. We just saw all the hand-wringing over Al Franken’s accusations.

[SpireGuy]

That's why I'm going to vote for Erika Harold for AG in IL. She vows to investigate corruption in our state unlike Kwame Raoul who is being bankrolled by Madigan and Company. Raoul has not mentioned corruption as an issue in our state so Harold has my vote. This is despite the fact that I tend to vote democrat, especially in this election cycle.

Originally Posted by ardecila

I don’t think it’s possible to rid Illinois of Madigan’s influence through the political process. Just like Mayor Daley, who he learned from, Madigan keeps his hands clean but continues to pull all the strings. He can’t be toppled from within his own party, and one token Republican in the governor’s mansion can’t do it either. All Rauner could do is hold the budget hostage and hope that voters blamed Madigan. But of course, that was never gonna happen because Madigan only appears on a ballot for less than 1% of Illinoisan voters, while Rauner appears on every ballot.

Maybe a #metoo accusation could hurt Madigan, but I don’t think he’s personally guilty of any harassment even if it did occur on his staff. Plus he’s a Democrat, so he could get away with that kind of stuff like Bill Clinton, many feminists will make a utilitarian decision that an abuser (or an enabler of abuse) that nevertheless works for feminism-friendly policies, is a better choice than a Republican who works against feminist-friendly policies. We just saw all the hand-wringing over Al Franken’s accusations.