Why Are the Taxes So High in This State? (Chicago: employment, income)

[gardener34]

"Do Not have a large statewide park system. ' Our park system is LAME compared to Wisconsin's. IL can't even afford to keep the d*mn things open and in the rest stops and the like, they are turning off amenities such as water fountains due to budget cuts.

And the thing about IL that most people are sick of is the corruption and/or culture of Chicago... that permeates the entire state.

We are seriously entertaining the notion of retiring somewhere else in the Midwest. And not just for tax reasons.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Chicago to Indy.

Also the cost of living in this state compared to its neighbors Indiana, Iowa, and Wiscounsin is getting way to expensive. C we are tired of how bad crime is getting.

Yes, but you have to live in Indiana, Iowa or Wisconsin.

[debbie at bouontiful]

I love the Northwest corner of IL (Jo Daviess County). We have lived their twice with my husband's job and thought we would go back at retirement but your property taxes are unbelievable. I have no problem buying the home I want but with thousands of dollars in property taxes is a bit much. I guess I've gotten too use to low taxes here. Of course our roads are lousy here but I can take that for less money going to the State. Like one poster, Chicago runs that State. In the County I lived in, politics was not as hateful as Chicago and I didn't see the corruption of Chicago either but your vote didn't matter either because of Chicago.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

At the end of the day compare state for state side by side
and they are all pretty much about the same with a rare exception or two.

[Vlajos]

Ok

[socaldream]

That's complete nonsense. You give the impression that Illinois is the most populous state in the union. It is not. Part of the reason for high taxes is the rampant corruption of state and local officials. California has a low property tax, but higher income tax. Do they have fewer social services, poor schools, and crumbling roads like we do? I don't think so. Almost every state in the union with a few exceptions is doing better than Illinois.

Originally Posted by linicx

We just moved here from blah, blah, blah and the taxes are horrible. Poor, poor, pitiful plea. It is an excellent way for a troll to get everyone wound up again. Most of the people who whine about taxes:
1- Do not ilve in Illinois
2- Do not live in a state with 13M people
3- Do not have 102 Counties to suppoer
3a- Does not have a massive 4-lane intrastate system that criss-cross the state.
3b- Do not have the roads that carry the amount of traffic IL roads do.
3c- Do not have major waterways or floods.
3d- Do not have a large illegal population
3e- Do Not have a large statewide park system.
3f- Do Not have a large prison system
4- Do not EXPORT products valued at $60B annually.
5- Do not offer state paid services to seniors and handicappedchildren.
But these people may...
6- Live in a Right-To-Work state. .
6b- Pay personal property taxes on cars, boats, farm equipment, trucks, trailers, mobile homes, motocycles, off-road motorized sport vehicles, swimming pool and classic vehicles. There was a time when toilets, TVs, telephones and washers were taxed too.
7- Pay vehicle plate (tags) fees based on FOB*price. (Higher than Illinois)
8- Pay a higher grocery tax (I*paid 9%), and may also double tax pet food

Been there, done that; have the shirt to prove it. However, I have not lived in every state in the U.S.. Generally*speaking states that have loooow real taxes generally offer few services. Medical*facilities, QOL, road maintenance,*family activities*and entertainment, satellite colleges, health standards and homeland security is lacking. Very often the COL is not that different from Illinois (excepting Chicago)*at the end of the year when you factor in groceries, utilites, personal property taxes, etc.. There is no bargain state. The grass is not greener; its a mirage.

[linicx]

Calefornya has Prop 12 that capped taxes a few years ago. My friend has a 6 bd 6.000 sqfthouse near the SF bay. His taxes are $7K. If the Prop 12 gets reversed his taxes will soar to more tham $30K the first year. You won't be grandfathered in. The taxes on my daughters 3 bd 1200 sq ft ranch in SoCal was $8K when she sold it 3 years ago. Gasoline is approx. $0.75 cents higher than where I live in Illinois. Local sales tax in SoCal is 12%. IL Cell phone tax is 21.05% which is lower than CA, NY and FL. Two*Buck Chuck is a dollar cheaper in SoCal.

If I could afford*to live in CA, I would go to Palm Springs. I think it is more interesting than SoCal or LA but there is no ocean breeze.

[ram2]

Everytime you sell a house in California, the property taxes jump up. That's the problem. Some people have been living in the same house for 30 years and are paying far less in property taxes (because they are locked in at time of home purchase) than someone who just bought a house last year. This makes it very difficult for families to "move up" to a bigger house as their family grows.

[cubssoxfan]

SoCal, Have you considered getting away from Rockford until you can move out of state? Seriously, it might help your happiness. Maybe Woodstock, Huntley or Crystal Lake would still keep you within a reasonable commute and put you in an overall nicer area without being too close to Chicago.

[linicx]

Gasoline prices are not controlled by the state. They are controlled at the pump by the retailer. Illinois has NO cap on the cost of gasoline.

Originally Posted by Chicago to Indy.

Hint Hint Illinois people Indiana people come to visit. people in Indiana don't want to live in a city with the highest gasoline prices in the nation. (Gasoline isn't any better in Chicago compared to Detroit/Indy its the same gasoline) Look at gasbuddy.com and look at lake county Indiana and 1-2 miles west into Illinois youll see gasoline 30 cents more expensive. Gasoline isn't any better in chicago or anywhere else in the US. Crook County Politics at its finest.