tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911859303165054512011-04-21T18:20:17.942-05:00The Owner-Occupied Exemption Problem in Illinois:Includes a cast of super-villain cook county government officials who are willing to let homeowners and the economy falter as collateral damage in political game. And instead of helping the intended recipients of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Illinois politicians instead tax the people who need it and keep the money for themselves.Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.comBlogger121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-65454097718300159672009-03-29T15:36:00.002-05:002009-03-29T15:49:36.333-05:00Where is the Homeowner's Exemption Revenue Going, Houlihan...?Dear Mr. James M. Houlihan,Please see the following document,http://www.docstoc.com/batch/iwKWZMKA3Imgk8LoKGGq-A==/crookedcounty/2009-03-29Where I'd like to point out that the majority of my local taxing districts actually lowered their tax rates between taxation years 2006 and 2007, paid in 2007 and 2008. But, nonetheless, it appears that all of my local districts still received more money when Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-68329890906795153582009-03-15T19:38:00.000-05:002009-03-15T19:58:32.421-05:00Let's Solve this Problem...Dear Media, Lobbyists, Trade Groups, Banks, Politicians, and Persons of Interest,You have received a postcard, letter, or email stating that there is a really unfair property tax policy in Illinois that actually taxes people who bought at the top of the real estate market two years later, after the market crashed. Here is my letter to the person responsible for fixing this problem,http://Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-11227240640711175092009-02-19T17:52:00.000-06:002009-02-26T22:58:47.531-06:00What this Blog is About...?People just don't know how bad it really is in Cook County. And that's why I created this blog about property taxes. And this is NOT a site where I can complain about paying more taxes. It's about letting the public know WHO is expected to pay these taxes, and why:In Cook County, there are, essentially, two different types of problems when it comes to homeowners being overtaxed on their property Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-61483815038576973872009-02-18T10:29:00.002-06:002009-03-24T15:05:28.325-05:00Still Looking For Houlihan's Mysterious Law...Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR)James R. Thompson CenterConcourse Level100 West Randolph StreetChicago, Illinois 60601-3274Wednesday, February 18, 2009Dear IDOR,As you know, the state of Illinois and Cook County are both expecting a big federal stimulus check some time in the near future. However, there is an existing problem already affecting Illinois property owners in Cook County that Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-15782400905235558532009-02-15T19:57:00.000-06:002009-02-16T17:41:37.112-06:00Letter to Chase/Fifth Third Bank(s) Requesting Forbearance...Dear Members of the Board,Regretfully, I must inform you that I’ll need to request a forbearance application if I’m to continue paying my mortgage. As you may or may not know, I’ve never been late on a single payment in my entire life. And my credit score is very high. However, my financial situation has drastically changed since I mortgaged my home with your bank.I’ve actually created a blog to Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-13318892867219656702009-02-10T17:02:00.001-06:002009-02-16T17:42:33.631-06:00Illinois's Response to Corruption in Cook County: Complacency So Far...If anyone has read this posting,http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1422442,chicago-miserable-city-forbes-021009.articleWhere Chicago was ranked by Forbes magazine as being the 3rd worst most miserable city in America? It’s easy to see just why Chicago is being held in such poor regards by so many people. Take my situation for example. Where I was expecting a $2,000 property tax installment due Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-83144996235741179392009-01-29T13:04:00.000-06:002009-02-06T08:36:56.680-06:00Building a New Ship Vs. Plugging the Hole...If anyone has read about the "The Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008",http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/kb/tax-content/tax-tips/6360.htmlI just don't get it. They keep continuing to overlook us. I don't need a stimulus, tax credit, or any assistance from the government. I just need my property taxes to go down, so I can pay what others in my neighborhood are paying for comparable properties. Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-39576582450239482902009-01-23T12:04:00.000-06:002009-01-29T13:38:06.425-06:00Stop Talking and Start Doing, Mr. Houlihan...If anyone has read this recent article about Cook County Asssessor James Houlihan,http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/1388714,CST-NWS-assess21.articleI think almost everyone agrees that this guy needs to shut his mouth and start doing some work. His excuse for avoiding re-assessments this time is that he can't afford the $1.3 million cost of mailing notices to comply with state law. He didn't Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-24553925910322297212008-12-19T13:24:00.000-06:002009-01-29T13:39:49.927-06:00TIF Abuse When There's No Oversight...What is the real elephant in the room? TIFs, which is the acronym for "Tax Increment Financing",http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_increment_financingWhich is nothing exclusive to Illinois, but is commonly used for community development across the country. However, it's also the most common vehicle for which lawmakers are able to steal money from their constituents. California has actually passed Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-46257003720660941182008-12-17T15:57:00.001-06:002009-01-29T13:34:28.094-06:00My Primary Concern is Not Tax Increases...Yes, we all know that it doesn't make sense to raise taxes in a "down" market. And although that is exactly what the Cook County Assessor's Office has done, that's not why I created this page. What I'm trying to do is create awareness about a specific group of people: those who bought a home in 2006, and how they are being treated now in 2008. This relatively small group of people, as I see it, Watchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-72545458483051036692008-12-17T12:57:00.000-06:002009-02-03T18:01:16.147-06:00If You Don't Believe There Are Crooks in Illinois....Here is a link to the original story by Fox News Chicago,http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/Investigation_Reveals_BackDoor_Pay_Raises_for_Cook_Co_CommissionersWhere two Cook County Board Commissioners were taking money from a "contingency" fund, and declaring it as income. According to Cook County Board Commissioner, Larry Suffredin, this is a violation of Illinois state law. And if you look atWatchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191185930316505451.post-83118020394827417172008-12-15T10:49:00.001-06:002009-02-15T20:06:54.183-06:00Letter to Senator Durbin: Commute My Sentence Instead...December 2, 2008To:Senator Richard Durbin309 Hart Senate Bldg.Washington, DC 20510Dear Senator Durbin,I recently read that you’d like to ask the President to commute former Illinois governor George Ryan’s prison sentence. But I’d like to ask that you consider commuting my sentence instead. And although I’ve never been convicted of the illegal sale of government licenses, I did commit the gruesomeWatchdog Jenkinsnoreply@blogger.com0