Evidence of the Loss of Jim Tobin

Just under a year ago, Tax Fighter Jim Tobin died.

One of his pet peaves was Home Rule.

When municipalities under 25,000 people (the constitutional threshold for automatic Home Rule status) held referendums seeking such status, which would give them unlimited taxing authority, he would partner with local opponents.

The piece that helped defeat Home Rule in Itasca.

Tobin wold produce flyers liks the one above which would be distributed with Home Rule opponents.

With Tobin no longer with us, take a look at the results of referendums to retain Home Rule taxing status in cities whose population dipped below 25,000:

Clean sweep: Home rule wins across Illinois – Kankakee Daily Journal

  • Kankakee and
  • Freeport

were two of seven Illinois municipalities forced to place home rule referendums on the Nov. 8 ballot because of reported population drops. Others were

  • Carbondale,
  • Harvey,
  • Melrose Park,
  • Collinsville and
  • East St. Louis.

All survived, with margins of victory ranging from 53% to 47% in Harvey, to an 80% to 20% split in Melrose Park.

= = = = =

My hometown of Lakewood tried to obtain Home Rule status through a referendum.

We defeated the referendum.


Comments

Evidence of the Loss of Jim Tobin — 8 Comments

  1. Yeah I agree no home rule wr have seen sheep and friends abuse this for years time to revote a big fat no going forward …

  2. Conservatives: LOCAL CONTROL!!!

    Also conservatives: Wait, not THAT local control!!

  3. Sure, I get that.

    But home rule (and in turn local control) applies to taxes.

    High or low.

    But also applies to a lot of other things.

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