Eye-opening statistics that will make you think twice before heading for the garbage can.
Earth Day was celebrated for the first time on April 22, 1970. In that inaugural year, 20 million people participated in the United States. Today, it is projected that more then 1 billion people in 180 countries will celebrate Earth Day.
The TaxFACTS group takes hyperbole to a new level.
Upon hearing the news, I immediately planned a march through downtown Geneva, held a candlelight vigil, and sang a few rousing choruses of We Shall Overcome for good measure. The only thing missing were the fire hoses, attack dogs and—oh, yeah—the lynchings. Declaring, “This is not a speech about black history, but it is about prejudice; that is, about ignorance,” at the Feb. 27 School Board meeting, Geneva TaxFACTS member and Kane County Chronicle opinion columnist Rick Hollinger called out those who would call out his activist compatriots for “stirring up trouble.” “Lately, it has become fashionable to call someone who commits himself to bettering his community an activist, loudmouth or egomaniac,” Hollinger added. “And if polite society…
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7:08 am on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Any time I hear someone complaining about Freedom of Information Act requests, it makes me wonder what they're trying to hide. more ›
Did I just see a pig fly?
It’s funny. The thing that scared me the most about writing those two columns on the heavy handed tactics of Bob McQuillan and the Geneva taxFACTS group (For Accountable and Controlled Tax Spending) wasn’t that he might come after me with a sledgehammer—though that did occur to me. Nope! The scenario that struck fear deep within my soul was the possibility that the School Board would significantly raise property taxes—again—while Bob and FACTS made a real effort toward moderating their approach to reining in District 304 school spending. Because if that deadly combination ever came to pass, considering the School Board’s history of questionable decisions, it would not bode well for them. Of course, I didn’t think they had anything to worry…
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5:03 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012
I deleted several comments to this article in accordance with our terms of use. more ›
Debt, declining EAV mean property taxes will continue to rise dramatically—and there is no end in sight.
Geneva School Board and School District 304 officials did everything they felt they could to cut back on spending in 2011. They re-financed bonds, they let some part-time jobs go unfilled. They pulled back on capital expenditures. They looked hard at four options to keep the tax levy in check. They are dipping into reserves. Still, the owner of a house valued at $288,000 is expected to see a $280 increase next spring for the District 304 portion of his or her property tax bill, according to Assistant Superintendent Donna Oberg. The hard truth is that property taxes are rising, and they're not likely to ease up any time soon. We're still paying for—and will continue to pay for—school building construction we voters approved through …
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1:06 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Rick I'm glad that you realize that there has been "escalating contentiousness" on the part of the Geneva School Board when dealing with taxpayers that take the time out of their schedules to ask questions at public school board meetings. As written on the Geneva Patch, the FACTS group is not anti-tax.. Our name states extacly what we are; For Accountable and Controlled Tax Spending. Our group, … more ›
Bob McQuillan: "Perfect storm" of declining property values makes the need more urgent for a tax watchdog group in Geneva.
To the Editor: Since being formed by four Geneva residents in August 2008, many people have called For Accountable Controlled Tax Spending (FACTS) a variety of things. What is this group really about? Very simply, it is a group of like-minded local taxpayers who want to educate the community on how local taxing bodies develop their operating budgets. Listed below is a portion of our first e-mail to every member of every local taxing body: I wanted to take this opportunity to inform you of a new community group being formed by Fox Valley residents. The mission of the group is to work with local taxing bodies to learn and understand how they operate, especially in terms of budget development and revenue generation. Several outside factors …
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8:37 pm on Tuesday, November 1, 2011
When a board member is responsible for negotiating a contract for teachers to consider them as colleagues & friends is a conflict of interest. Teachers shouldn't be enemies to anyone but they should realize that the current economy does not support automatic salary increases just for another year of service via the step program. Paying them 20% of their last year's salary on the day they retire … more ›
Bob
1:20 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
"•Recycling every newspaper would save about 250 million trees each year. Unfortunately, only 27 percent of all American newspapers are recycled" actually, you lost me here, Greenie. When trees are harvested far more are planted, much like a crop. If 250 million were harvested, about 5 times that number would be planted. Few know that paper recycling is one of the most energy intensive and … more ›