Tag: Property Tax

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Democrats Are Abandoning Joe Berrios, But J.B. Pritzker Is Still Silent

Pritzker’s silence is a desperate attempt to protect the corrupt Pritzker-Madigan-Berrios property tax racket

“J.B. Pritzker refuses to criticize Joe Berrios because without Berrios, Pritzker and Madigan can’t profit from their corrupt property tax racket. Pritzker needs Berrios’ support to secure huge property tax breaks for himself and make it past the upcoming primary. Berrios needs Pritzker to dole out campaign cash and work hand-in-hand with Madigan in Springfield. It’s a racket that would make even the most corrupt politicians blush.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot

Days ago, the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois released their fourth installment of an investigative series looking into the Cook County property tax system. The bombshell report revealed that Cook County Assessor and Democratic Party boss Joe Berrios, with the support of Mike Madigan, is running what is essentially a property tax racket that shifts property taxes from the rich to the poor.

Unsurprisingly, most Democrats want nothing to do with Berrios and Madigan. Just yesterday, three Democratic members of Congress were the latest Democrats to endorse Berrios’ opponent. Last month, “Chuy” Garcia, Heather Steans, and David Orr all endorsed Berrios’ opponent as well.

But who is one Democrat that “won’t be critical” of Joe Berrios or Mike Madigan? None other than J.B. Pritzker.

And it makes sense – J.B. Pritzker is an integral part of the corrupt Pritzker-Madigan-Berrios property tax racket. Pritzker funnels campaign cash to Madigan and Berrios, Madigan gets rich off of his property tax appeals law firm and uses his political machine to back Berrios and Pritzker, and Berrios doles out huge property tax breaks to billionaire insiders like Pritzker while backing Pritzker’s campaign for governor.

J.B. Pritzker’s silence on Joe Berrios is a desperate attempt to protect his corrupt property tax racket with Madigan and Berrios.

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J.B. Pritzker Puts Chicago Machine Ahead Of Taxpayers

“J.B. Pritzker is willing to throw the middle class and those in low-income neighborhoods under the bus just so he doesn’t make Joe Berrios and Mike Madigan angry. His statement yesterday is a sad response to a scathing report indicting the corruption at the highest levels in Cook County. The next time J.B. Pritzker says he’s working to help the middle class, no one should believe him.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot

In response to yesterday’s troubling report from the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois about Joe Berrios’ and Mike Madigan’s property tax racket, J.B. Pritzker clearly stated where he stands. Instead of standing up to a corrupt Chicago machine that has been caught shifting taxes from the wealthy to the poor in a scheme that’s been called out for its “institutional racism,” Pritzker stood with them. Pritzker is willing to let Mike Madigan make millions off the backs of the poor, so long as Madigan continues to support Pritzker’s campaign behind the scenes.

For Pritzker, campaign endorsements and backroom deals with Madigan and his allies are more important than doing what’s right.

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ICYMI: Inside the Joe Berrios and Mike Madigan Property Tax Racket

“Inaccurate assessments also help drive business to political allies who are property tax attorneys, including Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.”

“The corruption from Joe Berrios and Mike Madigan is absolutely disgusting. For years, they have taken money from middle class families and small businesses to help line their own pockets, all the while propping up their political careers. If you want to know why Illinois has serious problems, look no further than Joe Berrios and Mike Madigan and their shameful practices of robbing hard-working Illinoisans to make themselves richer.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot

Today, the Chicago Tribune published an in-depth story on how Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios and Illinois House Speak Mike Madigan have been gaming the system for years to make millions of dollars for themselves off property tax assessments and appeals. They’ve created a system that has hurt middle-class taxpayers and small businesses, and it has further solidified Berrios’ and Madigan’s political power.

See key highlights below and read the entire story here.
“Berrios failed at one of his most important responsibilities — estimating the value of commercial and industrial properties. What’s more, a separate analysis reveals commercial and industrial property assessments throughout Cook County were so riddled with errors that they created deep inequities, punishing small businesses while cutting a break to owners of high-value properties and helping fuel a cottage industry of politically powerful tax attorneys.”

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“The repetitive process feeds a property tax appeal industry that provides the bulk of Berrios’ campaign contributions. Inaccurate assessments also help drive business to political allies who are property tax attorneys, including Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.”

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“A Berrios ally, Madigan is a founding partner in the six-member firm that has filed appeals on nearly $8.6 billion in assessed value since Berrios took office in December 2010, the most of any firm, according to the appeals analysis. From 2011 to 2016, Madigan & Getzendanner won reductions of 20 percent from the initial values of their clients’ properties, totaling nearly $1.7 billion, the analysis found.”

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