Tax Rebels Use Pure Democracy to Resolve Wheatland

[doctorwho]

The message is clear= people are not going to pay for back-room deals for crap we simply do not need because some people feel they have the authority to piss away the taxpayers money - just because they can




Tax Rebels Use Pure Democracy to Resolve Wheatland Township Controversy

www.myfoxchicago.com/.../tax-rebels-pure-democracy-resolves-wheatland...

Updated: Tuesday, 09 Aug 2011, 10:11 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 09 Aug 2011, 10:03 PM CDT

By Political Editor Mike Flannery, FOX Chicago News



Chicago - A group of tax rebels convened at a special town hall meeting in Plainfield Tuesday night.

The rules of engagement date back to the founding of the state, in 1818.

Their goal: to stop Wheatland Township’s elected trustees from spending several million dollars to construct and operate a new township building.

Township leader Todd Morris said he favored spending $1.5 million on the new building, on two acres of recently purchased land near Route 59 and 103rd Street.

The anti-tax insurgents complain that no-bid contracts were awarded to architect and construction companies. They claim a new structure isn’t necessary.

Debra Holscher, the special meeting’s organizer, said the tax rebels feared the building would cost more than $2 million and would be expensive to operate.

The fight is taking place in northern Will County, in a once rural farming community that now includes Plainfield and a section of Naperville.

All 56 thousand registered voters were eligible to attend the meeting. Only 181 registered voters showed up.

A vast majority of Wheatland’s current residents are served by a municipal government, and get little to nothing for the taxes they pay to the township.

There was no secret ballot Tuesday night. Votes were cast publicly, by choosing to stand in the corner of the room designated for the proposal each voter supported. The procedure was reminiscent of the way voting was conducted in Iowa’s presidential caucuses.

It was pure democracy.

The organizers claim their vote would be binding on the township’s board of trustees.

In the end, they voted to do nothing. Township Trustee Frank King said the board will consult its attorneys.

King claims the meeting violated the requirement that it post its full agenda in advance.

"To do nothing" was not one of choices on Tuesday night's agenda.

[southsidesignmaker]

The title tax rebels is a bit misleading. How about "A Vote For Responsible / Accountable Spending".

The board's arguement was weak from the start, the voters want their elected boards to justify this type of spending. Elections will be interesting, I can only imagine what will happen when voters start investigating the health and welfare benefits some of these folks are entitled to.

[casey]

I was at last night's meeting and it was interesting to say the least. Though there were only 181 voters of the potential 56,000 Wheatland residents that showed up, the clear majority (I'd say 160) voted to do nothing. It was clear to say taxpayers have had enough with spending money. It was somewhat empowering to feel that my vote really might have mattered.

Of course lawyers for the Wheatland Twshp are already involved and saying last night's vote was not legal. The saga continues though I find it unbelievable that there is anyone who thinks given the uncertainty of the economy and uncertainty with regard to township government that it would be OK to spend money on a new building. The message was loud and clear "read my lips, no new taxes!"


I viewed the whole thing as a grass roots campaign of future proportions. Taxpayers have had enough. Good luck to the SB and admin if they plan to try any form of passing a referendum. At this point in time, I'd say anything would be destined to fail.