The Tax Foundation has some remarkable work comparing property tax burdens across the United States.

Want to know what part of the country to look at for retirement, if cutting your property taxes is one of your goals?

Take a look at this map:

The Tax Foundation map comparing property taxes.

I did my best to extract the information for the top Illinois counties from one of The Tax Foundation’s searchable data bases.

The information below is from here.

Click to enlarge.

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Photoshopping by one Heck of a Guy blogster Allan Showalter.

Since all in McHenry County but Algonquin Township are among those who reside in the new 14th Congressional District, I thought the followed email from Congressman Randy Hultgren might be of interest:

It’s been a great month so far back in the 14th District. I’d like to thank everyone for coming out to my town hall meetings this month. We may not agree on all of the issues, but it means so much to me that you are willing to be engaged in the process and have your opinions heard on the issues most important to you.

This photo has four congressional districts represented. 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren talks with 8th Congressional District State Central and Barrington Township Committeeman Gene Dawson. Dawson's home and mine are located in Peter Roskam's new 6th Congressional District under the Democrats' reapportionment plan. The photo was taken at State Rep. Mike Tryon's Huntley Fish Boil, which is now located in Don Manzullo's 16th District. Grafton Township is located in the new 14th District. Christy Hultgren and the couple's children are also in the shot.

Please remember that I am holding another town hall meeting on Monday, August 29, in the Yorkville City Council Chambers at 6:00 pm. Hope to see you there.

I’ve always said that some of my most important work is done back home in Illinois, and that’s absolutely been the case this August. While I’ve been home, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of constituents through one-on-one meetings, speeches to different groups and organizations, and local business tours.

I was particularly proud to be joined earlier this month in Oswego by State Rep. Tom Cross, Oswego Mayor Brian LeClercq and Metra CEO Alex Clifford to announce that Metra is moving forward with the Phase 1 Engineering studies to advance a project to extend commuter rail service to Oswego.

This project will be a huge victory for a region that has seen incredible growth over the past decade by helping to ease congestion on our expressways and providing a huge economic boost to the entire area.

I’d like to thank the students at Northern Illinois University for welcoming me to campus last week. I’m truly impressed by the work of these students. They are great representatives of the area, the 14th District and the state of Illinois and I wish them the best of luck as they begin to pursue their chosen careers.

If you haven’t already, be sure to “like” my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube page to stay informed on everything I’m doing on your behalf in Washington and in Illinois. Also, I’ve updated my Facebook page with dozens of pictures from my meetings throughout the district this month – be sure to check it out.

As always, it is truly an honor to serve you in Washington. Please contact me at 630.232.7104 or 202.225.2976 if I can be of assistance, or if you’d like to share your thoughts on the issues before Congress.

In service,

Randy Hultgren
Member of Congress

Hultgren in the News

Randy Hultgren Pays Visit to Batavia Business

Hultgren reflects on first year in Congress

Hultgren addresses Elgin chamber on jobs, D.C. politics

Oswego Metra station still chugging on the slow track

Hultgren bids for constituents’ respect, whether they support him or not

Hultgren, state legislators address senior issues

McHenry County popped up as number one in front page stories in the Chicago Sun-Times Sunday and the Chicago Tribune Monday.

News about food stamp use increasing was the page one story in the Sun-Times.

Foreclosures on homes was the topic of the Chicago Tribune story.

The Chicago Sun-Times shows food stamp use up30.3% in McHenry County.

McHenry County had the highest percentage increase in food stamp use from last year for Chicago metropolitan area counties–up 30.3%.

Foreclosures in McHenry County increased 29.1%.

McHenry County had the highest percentage increase in home foreclosures from last year for Chicago metropolitan counties.

The United States Attorney’s Office has taken on the prosecution of Charles H. Landwer, Jr., for (to quote Daily Herald reporters Rob Olmstead and Chuck Keeshan) “scamming the elderly and the unsuspecting out of their homes and property.”

$2.4 million from 17 people, many senior citizens.

Landwer has a long history of run-ins with the law, which you can read in the Daily Herald story. He now operates out of Bloomingdale as Accurate Financial Group.

Two federal criminal complaints were filed by Vick Lombardo, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent. He is a ten-year agent who “investigate(s) criminal violations of federal bank and wire fraud statute.”

The short one says,

“…for the purpose of executing a scheme to defraud and attempting to do so, (Landwer) knowingly caused to be transmitted in interstate commerce by wire communication from American Mortgage Network in San Diego, California, to the Private Bank and Trust Company in Chicago, Illinois, certain signs, signals and sounds, namely: approximately $230,522.38 from the fraudulent refinance of Victim KD and ED’s house in Yorkville, Illinois.”

Here’s one charge from the 10-pager:

“as early as September 2002, CHARLES H. LANDWER, JR., defrauded at least 17 individuals of more than $2,400,000 in personal funds and home sale proceeds.”

Landwer is charged with not only basically, stealing the financially troubled couple’s Yorkvill home, but then having the nerve to hound them for $50,000 more, plus $12,812 in rent. (You really have to read it to believe the boldness of this flim-flam man.)

Locally, according to the Northwest Herald reporter Jillian Duchnowski, he “bilked an elderly Huntley woman out of more than $350,000 have been rolled into a federal fraud case” and was set to go to trial three days from now.

The NW Herald says the guy is from Bartlett, but the FBI says the search warrant was for a Barrington Shores unit.

The United States Attorney’s Office has taken on the prosecution of Charles H. Landwer, Jr., for (to quote Daily Herald reporters Rob Olmstead and Chuck Keeshan) “scamming the elderly and the unsuspecting out of their homes and property.”

$2.4 million from 17 people, many senior citizens.

Landwer has a long history of run-ins with the law, which you can read in the Daily Herald story. He now operates out of Bloomingdale as Accurate Financial Group.

Two federal criminal complaints were filed by Vick Lombardo, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent. He is a ten-year agent who “investigate(s) criminal violations of federal bank and wire fraud statute.”

The short one says,

“…for the purpose of executing a scheme to defraud and attempting to do so, (Landwer) knowingly caused to be transmitted in interstate commerce by wire communication from American Mortgage Network in San Diego, California, to the Private Bank and Trust Company in Chicago, Illinois, certain signs, signals and sounds, namely: approximately $230,522.38 from the fraudulent refinance of Victim KD and ED’s house in Yorkville, Illinois.”

Here’s one charge from the 10-pager:

“as early as September 2002, CHARLES H. LANDWER, JR., defrauded at least 17 individuals of more than $2,400,000 in personal funds and home sale proceeds.”

Landwer is charged with not only basically, stealing the financially troubled couple’s Yorkvill home, but then having the nerve to hound them for $50,000 more, plus $12,812 in rent. (You really have to read it to believe the boldness of this flim-flam man.)

Locally, according to the Northwest Herald reporter Jillian Duchnowski, he “bilked an elderly Huntley woman out of more than $350,000 have been rolled into a federal fraud case” and was set to go to trial three days from now.

The NW Herald says the guy is from Bartlett, but the FBI says the search warrant was for a Barrington Shores unit.