ANGRY Black Chicago Pastors STORM Trump Tower Over Democrats Raising Their Property Taxes!
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Chicago's West Garfield Park and North Lawndale neighborhoods experienced property tax increases of 133% and 99% respectively.
- ❖Protesters targeted Trump Tower, citing its 39% tax reduction compared to their increases, framing it as a 'modern-day land grab'.
- ❖The Cook County Assessor's office blames the Board of Review for granting large reductions to commercial businesses, shifting the burden.
- ❖The host argues Chicago's levy-based tax system means a fixed amount of tax revenue must be collected; when downtown commercial property values decline, the burden shifts to residential properties.
- ❖Declining commercial property values are attributed to Democratic policies, heavy taxation, regulations, and high crime rates driving businesses out of Chicago.
- ❖Mayor Brandon Johnson is accused of funneling taxpayer money to illegal immigrants and liberal nonprofits, rather than addressing the financial strain on black residents.
- ❖The host advocates for pro-business policies, lower taxes, and tougher crime measures to attract businesses back and alleviate the tax burden on homeowners.
Insights
1Disproportionate Property Tax Hikes on Residential Properties
Homeowners in West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, and Inglewood face property tax increases ranging from 80% to 133%. This contrasts with a reported 39% reduction for commercial properties like Trump Tower, leading residents and faith leaders to protest what they perceive as targeted and unjust hikes on poor and working-class families.
West Garfield Park: 133% spike; North Lawndale: 99% increase; Inglewood: 80% increase. Malcolm Crawford's bill more than doubled (). Trump Tower: 39% reduction ().
2Chicago's Levy-Based Tax System and its Consequences
Chicago operates on a levy-based tax system, meaning the city aims to collect a fixed total amount of tax revenue annually, rather than applying a fixed percentage rate. When downtown commercial property values decline—due to businesses leaving because of high taxes, heavy regulation, and crime—the city collects less from those properties. To meet the overall levy, the tax burden is then shifted to other property owners, primarily residential, causing their bills to skyrocket.
Chicago's tax system is levy-based, not rate-based; they need 'X billions of dollars' (). If downtown values go down, they collect less from businesses (). 'Those taxes still need to be paid... they still got to collect x billions of dollars' (). 'Now we have to tax everybody else... make everybody else's bills go up' ().
3Mayor Brandon Johnson's Policies and Alleged Mismanagement
Mayor Brandon Johnson is criticized for prioritizing spending on illegal immigrants and liberal nonprofits, allegedly diverting funds that could benefit black residents. Critics claim his 'pro-black' rhetoric emerged only after migrant funding issues arose, and that his administration's true agenda aligns with the teachers' union, not the black community. This alleged mismanagement contributes to the city's financial woes and the increased tax burden on homeowners.
Mayor Johnson 'funneling black people's money... into the pockets of liberal nonprofits to help out illegals' (). He signed off on $51 million for migrants in his first city council meeting (). He built migrant tent camps in black communities (). He spent 'over a billion dollars' on migrants () while only putting $500,000 into a reparations commission (). His handpicked CPS president had a 'secret meeting to raise our property taxes again' ().
Bottom Line
The host suggests that churches, if truly concerned about their constituents' tax burden, should consider contributing to the overall tax base, implying their tax-exempt status exacerbates the issue for other property owners.
This challenges the traditional role and financial exemption of religious institutions, proposing they could play a direct role in alleviating community-wide tax pressures, a rarely discussed perspective in public discourse.
This perspective could spark debate on the economic responsibilities of large non-profit organizations, including churches, within financially strained municipalities, potentially leading to new models of community contribution or tax reform discussions.
Key Concepts
Levy-Based Tax System
Unlike a rate-based system where everyone pays a fixed percentage, a levy-based system aims to collect a predetermined total amount of tax revenue. If one segment of the tax base (e.g., commercial properties) sees its assessed value decline, the burden shifts to other segments (e.g., residential properties) to meet the overall levy, leading to increased rates for those remaining.
Financial Literacy as a Leadership Quality
The host emphasizes that financial literacy is the most crucial quality for leaders, especially those guiding large communities. Understanding how economic systems, taxes, and policies impact financial prosperity is essential for making informed decisions and advocating effectively for constituents.
Lessons
- Become financially literate to understand how local tax systems and political policies directly impact personal finances and community prosperity.
- Vote for politicians who support pro-business policies, lower taxes, and stricter crime measures to attract businesses and expand the tax base, thereby potentially reducing the burden on homeowners.
- Direct protests and advocacy efforts towards local elected officials (mayor's office, county tax office) responsible for tax policy and spending decisions, rather than private entities or individuals.
Notable Moments
Chicago pastors and homeowners protest property tax increases outside the Cook County Assessor's Office and later Trump Tower.
This highlights widespread public outrage over the tax hikes and the perceived injustice of commercial property tax reductions amidst residential increases.
A Cook County Board of Review commissioner states the assessor 'overaccessed' properties and 'can lower them' for African-American communities, as he did for northern suburbs.
This indicates internal disagreement within county government regarding the assessment process and suggests a potential for administrative action to alleviate the burden on specific communities.
Mayor Brandon Johnson recounts his wife's advice during early challenges in office: 'If the locust come, you need to repent.'
This moment, framed by the host as ironic, underscores the mayor's perceived disconnect from the financial realities faced by his constituents, contrasting his spiritual reflection with the practical economic crisis.
Quotes
"You have the poorest people in the poorest neighborhoods with the largest increase."
"It's just a few bills that I got. And uh this one is 11,000. This one is 12,000. The other ones are 7,000. And I have more. And with these and I'm supposed to come up with this money by the 15th."
"Donald Trump gets the tax break and on the west side we get the tax bill. Poor residents on the west side and south side have been targeted."
"These property tax increases hitting south and westside homeowners are flatout unfair, and they're the direct result of huge cuts that the board of review commissioners gave to large corporations."
"If they actually understood why that's happening, then they would not be protesting at Trump Tower, right? they would be protesting uh Democrats and Democrat policies which have driven businesses out of the city."
"Brandon Johnson has not done one thing for black people since he's been in office. And he only started TALKING THAT PRO BLACK WHEN WHEN the money ran out."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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