Garbage Fee Arrives
- Several Chicago aldermen are proposing an alternate garbage fee for residents to help the city solve its budget problems.
As the mayor prepares to propose what reportedly will be the largest property tax increase in Chicago history, a sheepish city council will wear the jacket for new garbage pickup fee.
"What am I going to say? We have a financial crisis. We need to come up with some options," said Ald. Danny Solis, 25th Ward.
Well gee, Danny, maybe you could look into cutting costs instead of taxing everything under the sun? We still haven't seen a legitimate study to reduce the number of aldercreatures, trim aldermanic staff, reduce organizational redundancy (even in the police and fire departments), slash and burn administrative staff (especially at the always top-heavy CPS), stop building stadiums for private universities, mega-parks, TIFs....the list is near endless.
- Zoning committee chairman Ald. Solis was joined by other influential city council members, including the progressive caucus chairman as well as the mayor's floor leader. They have agreed - as a way to raise $80 million - on a maximum $11 monthly garbage pickup fee.
"This is about as high as it could possibly go and we're working on trying to reduce it," said Ald. Pat O'Connor, 40th Ward.
And the alderman said they'll support a reduced rate for the city's oldest homeowners.
"My seniors should not have to pay the full price," said Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th Ward.
Guess who else isn't going to have to pay for garbage pickup?
- The plan would exempt homeowners from the increase if their houses are worth less than a certain amount.
"The expanded exemption would cover properties with an assessed value of under $250,000, which will cover a great number of properties in my neighborhoods," said Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th Ward.
In Ald. Connor's 40th Ward, the vast majority of houses are appraised at more than $250,000. He said his residents would understand.
Yeah, understand they're taking it in the shorts again for a certain segment of society. There was actually a tiny bit of truth in the article, though it was tinged with the typical anti-police/fire slant we've come to expect from the media:
- City garbage pickup has always been paid for by the property tax, but the administration wants to increase that levy to raise half a billion dollars a year to pay Chicago's police and firefighter pension debt.
Hey, you know, if Daley had actually followed the actuarial suggests for decades, and raised the city contribution like he was supposed to, and didn't get "pension holidays" from Springfield, we wouldn't even be in this position today?
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:33 AM
69 Comments:
Again why doesn't anyone indict Daley.
Is there an "opt-out" option? If so, take my garbage cans (the blue one too), and I'll just drop my bags at the alderman's office front doors.
Again the haves pay for the have-nots. Can't wait to get out of this city. Until then I will let my property look like shit, have my home reassessed and my neighbors on the NW side will understand for picking up the tab for me.
You are right if Daley did do that we wouldn't be in this position. But we are so now what? If I have to pay 11 bucks more a month in order to keep my pension and ensure it stays the same til the time I retire so be it. Yeah it sucks. But it beats diminished obenefits or no benefits at all.
SCC tonight -- first two major articles on how the city can "claw back" hundreds of millions that will just be p___ed away.
Sign of the times...
Enough to get more and more people thinking about leaving Chicago, but still not enough money to keep CPS going for a month...
How about taking away city residential garbage service from those apartment buildings with 4+ units? Drive around, you'll see city cans at many of these buildings.
And If I refuse to pay, does my garbage still get picked up, or does the city let it accumulate in the alley? I also own an apartment building, and already pay Waste Management for pick up. When they went on strike, the city picked up my garbage for free.
Time for the Revolution people....The princes no longer care about the serfs...
It makes sense. If your house is worth more, you use more garbage .
Rauner should demand that Madigan & Cullerton authorize recall elections so the voters can recall O'Connor and any one else who votes to give the occupants of Englewood, Austin and Roseland another new entitlement.
How is it that these Democrat Liberal politicians have no problem passing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes but can't cut a single penny in spending. Do we need 50 aldermen in the city? Do we need Maggie Daley park? Do we need to encourage deadbeats with more handouts? Do we need more welfare leeching illegal alien gangbangers?
These politicians know they will be out of office enjoying their kickbacks before the bankruptcy hits. They only care about themselves. We are screwed. Time to fight back!
Lets get rid of half the alderman that would save millions.
I always suspected that the City Council enjoyed sheep.
City & County Government will always be messed up. They are entities ran by politicians who have to answer to the people to keep there jobs. If these entities were ran as a business by business men there would be no issue. Businessman don't answer to anyone. They just do whatever it takes to stay in the black.
In Ald. Connor's 40th Ward, the vast majority of houses are appraised at more than $250,000. He said his residents would understand.
Wow! The balls!
You will never tax your way into prosperity, only drive away the makers and enable the takers. That is why I moved out of state.
Just another working man's tax. You know damn well that it's not like that tax goes to some streets and san. garbage fund. Just like the additional upcoming big tax won't go directly to any pension fund. They already have the money for all that shit. All the extra cash goes into the city's big bank and it's just more for them to work with for uncontrollable spending. Wait until your street needs work or trees need cutting for additional add ons at tax time for everyone on the block. We live in the computer age and it's way more easy to keep track of what goes on where and who lives on that street. Keep working hard, each time you catch little rahm sneaking a a few bucks out of your pocket and he looks up and says 'well its only 20 for this or 100 for that' remember that the shitheads aren't paying a dime! In fact, if you look away from rahm at your other pocket, there's a shithead smiling with his hand in it too!!
Is "Fly Dumping" still on the books?
It's as though we exist only to fund the government.
Such assholes, they treat us like children and idiots. Garbage fees, thanks, yet another little inconvenience I have to deal with as a homeowner. No expense cuts, all revenue "enhancements". No more family silver to sell? Oh wait O'hare is still available. Naming rights to City Hall? Come on boys you can get more creative here. They don't even bother to pay lip service towards leaving the city better place for our children.
Since it doesn't treat everyone the same and seems to implicitly go after a particular racial class (whites) how would this pass the equal protection of the Constitution??? Same with congestion fee. If the fees were reverse they would DEFINITELY be out...I don't see how this passes a 14th amendment challenge.
At some point we need to talk about lifting residency after a certain amount of years OTJ..chicago is the 7th most expensive city in the WORLD to live in! PENSION REFORM = RESIDENCY REFORM!
Even the wife has had enough, and realizes that even with the grandkids we're leaving when retirement comes in a couple of years. I really can't wait to put this city, county and state in my rear view mirror. .
It's understandable to give senior citizens an exemption - but give yet another break to our "less fortunate folk"?? One more entitlement to a group that justifies everything due to race (400 years of oppression). Hey Danny Solis - why doesn't your side company Monterrey Security take care of the indigents in your ward? Instead of cutting costs you insist on taxes, fees, and other scams. Let's start by cutting the number of Aldercreatures!
It would be less costly to collect the money by raising property tax. Now the city has to come up with a connected firm to administer,collect, and skim the garbage fees. Where is Tony Soprano when you need him?
The city by not funding the pensions all along did this, Danny you were in the council during this period not funding the pension and now your part of the problem and not part of the solution you need to resign like the rest in disgrace for what you have done! So many cuts to be made Danny, cut all aid to anyone in your ward illegally here it's a start to save billions push the easy button danny lead by example!
Start charging the Alarm companies for all the false alarms we handle every day.
Shhhhh. Never say the Kings name!
Alderman O'Connor how about a 50% tax on the salary you get from the City and also a 75% tax on your campaign fund.
The taxpayers in your ward recommend that you move to Englewood so you can enjoy the adulation of those that you are offering a tax break too!
Sounds to me like the ghetto will be taken care of yet again.
Cut these ridiculous middle managers. Cut the give aways to the parasites. Change our elected officials and put in some business managers that have actually run successful businesses in the real world (hello Republican Party). Where is our Scott Walker?
We have finally run out of 'other people's money".
Isn't there a separate tax for Streets and Sanitation on you tax bill. Will Sts. & San. be renamed Streets?
More cowards , house cats will be reassigned to the street
now , let's clear out many on duty disability that can walk , talk , drive , operate a computer
offer them a desk assignment at full pay , no gun or star needed
if they refuse , reduce their duty disability to 50%
this is fair and many would welcome the opportunity to return to work
many are depressed because the are collecting money they do not deserve
if they need an extra break or two , no problem
every copper knows hat the house cats work (show up) for short hours and take many coffee , cigarette breaks and long lunches
poor illegals immigrants and third generation welfare family receive free cell phones , wifi , free before after school care , lunches , book bags , parents get paid to walk kids to school , the mayor , city employees have to call to remind the parents when school starts , what a joke
this is not Arizona , mayors spends millions on air conditioning for cps
$11 monthly? Just like the water charges. Garbage pickup will cost $35 monthly in about two years. Only up, never down.
f that
people that paid over $250,000 have already been screwed because of location .
base tax on house size not value
house over 2,000 square ft. they pay the garbage tax
a shack in mt greenwood cost over $250,000
large homes in Englewood , roseland might cost $100,000
base tax on number of beat cars per neighborhood
just tax the hell out of the illegals. They over load the garbage cans. Lets stop taxing the citizens and start taxing the illegals. Lets have an annual $2000.00 tax every six months towards the illegals. Make them pay!
I'm gonna my bags of garbage to the station in the back of my pickup truck and leave it in the station garbage cans! Fuck you Rahm!
I'll just burn my fucking garbage.
Next city and county election do not vote for anyone already holding an office! How much money is the county spending to build camp grounds in the forest preserves? They closed camping grounds forty years ago for a reason. Thirty years ago Chicago had more blue collar jobs then any other place in the U.S. Where are they now?
Serious question.
What are considered good states to retire to ?
Reality check....Property taxes in any nice suburb is about twice what you pay in the city.
That being said, I have been dumping my garbage in the dumpster at work for years. TV's, computers, Anything that fits in a contractors waste bag, and the city wont pick up...
The only people I know that pay for garbage collection pay about 12.00 a week.
$9.50 for regular garbage & $7.00 for recyclable pickup. Guarantee to increase as time goes by. Charges are gonna be included in the bimonthly water bill. Done deal !
If I have to pay a fee then that will be the end of Recycling for me, everything will go in the Black can.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
You are right if Daley did do that we wouldn't be in this position. But we are so now what? If I have to pay 11 bucks more a month in order to keep my pension and ensure it stays the same til the time I retire so be it. Yeah it sucks. But it beats diminished obenefits or no benefits at all.
9/19/2015 01:52:00 AM
Yeah, that was the rationale for accepting a 'token' payment for healthcare a few years ago. You see how well that one worked out for us.
DO NOT LET RAHM GET ONE TOE IN THE DOOR FOR TRASH PAYMENTS.
NOT ONE.
OR IT WILL NEVER, EVER END.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
It would be less costly to collect the money by raising property tax. Now the city has to come up with a connected firm to administer,collect, and skim the garbage fees. Where is Tony Soprano when you need him?
9/19/2015 09:25:00 AM
Agreed.
Don't screw around with a fee, collecting a fee, chasing a fee, accounting for the fee. At least, if it's on my property taxes, I can deduct it on my income taxes.
I have a great idea. we all need to march on our aldermans' office and let him or her know how we don't like theses increases. Don't forget YOUR ALDERMAN WORKS FOR YOU, YOU AND OTHERS IN THE WARD VOTED FOR HIM, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE THESE INCREASES DOWN. NEXT THROW A BAG OF GARBAGE IN FRONT OF HIS OFFICE, THROW TRASH ALL OVER DOWNTOWN AND RUSH STREET. FUCK THEM AND THIS CITY11111111
One of the projects that swallowed a ton of money http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130612/BLOGS02/130619910/cta-reveals-its-block-37-superstation
It wasn't just Daley, but also all the scumbags around him...why none of them are in prison for pissing away billions is just amazing.
This also in Crain's...under Emanuel, city's spending has increased each year.
Yea...$11.00 Dollars is the low low low introductory offer...just wait til we have those multiple tiered increases. So the shitheads in this city don't even care or give a fuck about this tax. But the working man does. Just like the working man worries about paying for food, shelter, insurance, education, transportation and all the other bills on a daily basis, the privileged class (and that's not the white folks) won't have to worry a damn bit.
I don't think the "less fortunate" should have to pay for garbage collection. I always see them littering McDonalds bags out their car windows so I highly doubt there is any trash put into receptacles at their homes.
You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you do charge the "homeowners" with homes assessed under $250K, they'll just throw the garbage out the window into the street... "Dat ain' ma trash offica... Muh naighbor done did dat..."
If you don't charge them, someone else has to pay for it... Insane entitlement nonsense. Gotta stop.
I have to be penalized because I worked my entire life and provided for my family. Paid my taxes. I am so sick of this bullshit. The very people who refuse to get off their lazy asses and get a job will again be given more freebies. Free phones, cable, Link cards, free lunches, and the list goes on and on.....
It's official. All my glass bottles will be broken and tossed at the curb. And I will now tie all my plastic grocery bags on my front fence.
I heard the grid system saved 10 million dollars . Where did that money go.
So the ghetto, where garbage men have to deal with the biggest messes, will get a pass on this tax.
Fuck you Rahm and your alderthieves... fund our pension!
Maybe Rahm could just deduct the $11 monthly tax from peoples LINK cards.
Funny we never hear how the city didn't pay the full amount into the pensions and that , but not following the law and contract this is what created the mess we have now............
I will put a drum in my yard and burn the paper garbage, then throw the rest in the dumpster behind the grocery store on my way to work. FREE
"just tax the hell out of the illegals. They over load the garbage cans."
9/19/2015 12:00:00 PM
A few years ago, there were some news stories about conditions in parts of 025 -- huge piles of crap out there, car parts, dirty diapers, rotting food all heaped up and rats running wild -- to the point that the city started running two garbage pickups a week to try to fix it. Said some areas in Bel/Cragin "were the only area of town that got two pickups."
Saw it myself -- how many people must be living in there to empty a five-gallon bucket of "Suavecito" fabric softener within three months of the date of manufacture printed on it (and that includes time in the distribution chain)?
Some -- Hispanic, I believe -- lady with S&S stated plainly that the problem was being caused by illegal conversions, dozens of people packed into single-family homes. She was fired.
"$9.50 for regular garbage & $7.00 for recyclable pickup. Guarantee to increase as time goes by. Charges are gonna be included in the bimonthly water bill. Done deal !"
9/19/2015 06:29:00 PM
Damn! They already slid another $7.00 in there, and the ink isn't even dry.
Q. Sorting garbage is work. Am I to be an unpaid employee, separating out useful materials that will be re-sold for profit by others?
Time to discuss my compensation.
I was born and raised here in Chicago, it was a nice blue collar town. Things have changed and it's time to move on. So long Chicago, I'll miss what we had, I want to feel safe again, where people care about each other, where EVERYONE pays their fair share, a little peace and quiet is all I ask, unfortunately it's not here. I weep for you Chicago, you came up from the onion fields and you should have been a beautiful city. So sad.
Adding the garbage fee to the water bill. What a great idea! Lets see the collection stats on water bills broken down by ward.. That way we can judge if its "fair and equitable" as long as everyone is paying their fair share
Time to use the firepit..
So a rich couple by O'HARE would pay more?
But a family in a run down 2 flat with 10 people living in the building would pay nothing even thou they generate 5 times more trash?
Makes sense to me...
Time to organize?
FOP has a political action committee.
Each receives a nice check every month.
What is the point, you worried about money but RAHM is back dooring you even the lovely retirees can't hide. I know people can reply about going to meetings and the hard times it was when they had call box keys and no vest. Dean does not have to lead the way how about president #2 or #3 give them some purpose?
Last First Position
Angelo, Sr. Dean Chair
Balestri Frank
Boykens Michael
Casiano Ray
Escobedo Sergio
Ford Marialisa
Francis, Jr. Al
Gounaris George
Hebein Herbert
Kilmer Kevin
Lonergan Tom
Malkowski Carmen
McCall Kathy
McDonagh Tom
McGlade Michael
Murray Patrick
Nolan Bill
Ricciardi Vito
Riley Inez
Rivera Carlos
Schauf Ralph
Trevino Dan
Lots of guys with free time on the list too!
Make sure there is nothing incriminating in your garbage. Then start leaving the bags in the street around 9.5s neighborhood, and if your alderman approved of this then by his house and office too. Especially you guys still with little ones, leave em a couple of nasty diaper pail loads.
How about getting water delivered and stored in a 500 gallon container then burn or just dump my garbage screw this city
why is the city picking up garbage anyway?
Anonymous said...
Next city and county election do not vote for anyone already holding an office! How much money is the county spending to build camp grounds in the forest preserves? They closed camping grounds forty years ago for a reason. Thirty years ago Chicago had more blue collar jobs then any other place in the U.S. Where are they now?
9/19/2015 03:36:00 PM
Blue collar jobs now in Chicago are grabbed by people who drive in from Indiana and Wisconsin. Rap Artist is not considered a blue collar job. Latin Kings, Vice Lords, 6 corner hustlers and Simon City are not generally interested.
Yes $9.50 a month for the working people .
Once upon a time health insurance was free for city employees and family while they worked and when they retired .Then fop agreed to $2.00 per paycheck . How's that working out ?
I now pay $1800.00 a month for me and wife .
Chicago is self insured , it's robbery of the middle class , now lower class . One third of pension is for health insurance , now garbage pick up fees and higher property tax . Someone drop off some cat food , I am starving .
Good thing I can fit in my uniform and get a half price whopper
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