Sunday, February 23, 2014

This Week's Meetings


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Friday, February 21, 2014

DuPage Hosts Informational Meeting Regarding 75th Street Construction Project on Feb. 27


 
Friday, February 21, 2014 4:16 PM
DuPage County IL Seal
DuPage County 
NEWS RELEASE
421 N. County Farm Road Wheaton, Illinois 60187 630-407-6060 
Website: www.dupageco.org s Twitter:  @dupagecounty s Facebook:  DuPage County Board

 
DuPage Hosts Informational Meeting Regarding
75th Street Construction Project on Feb. 27
 
Wheaton – Residents and business leaders are invited to attend a public information meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, hosted by the DuPage County Division of Transportation regarding construction along 75th Street which is scheduled to begin in April.
 
The public information meeting will be held from 4 to 7p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Ashton Place, 341 W. 75th Street, Willowbrook. During the “open house,” exhibits depicting the improvements will be on display. In addition, County representatives will answer questions and provide more information.
 
The construction project, which is set to begin in April, will take place along 75th Street between Adams Street and Plainfield Road. The improvements include:
 
·         Reconstructing and widening 75th Street between Adams Street and Plainfield Road to provide an additional lane in each direction separated by a landscape barrier median;
 
·         Storm sewer installation;
 
·         Traffic signal modernization; and
 
·         Intersection improvements at Adams Street, Cass Avenue and Plainfield Road.
 
For more information, contact DuPage County Division of Transportation at (630) 407-6900.
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Thursday, February 20, 2014

The Office of Business Diversity and Civil Rights for Metra is planning a training event for Disadvantage Business Enterprise


The Office of Business Diversity and Civil Rights for Metra is planning a training event for Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) Certification on Thursday, March 27, 2014.  
Interested participants can register at the link below.

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Flood Watch for DuPage County

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for DuPage County, overnight tonight through early tomorrow evening.  As such, the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (OHSEM) is encouraging residents to be prepared.  Residents are encouraged to view the “Flood Safety Checklist” visit that can be found on www.ProtectDuPage.org. 
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Monday, February 17, 2014

This Week's Events & Meetings



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Sunday, February 16, 2014

FLOODING AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FORUM



                        FLOODING AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FORUM 

                                                            Presented by

                       The League of Women Voters of Downers Grove/Woodridge/Lisle



This is an important local, regional and national concern.


● What are the causes of the problem? 
● What's being done about it?
● What can YOU do to increase water quality, and
   reduce costs and flooding?


DATE:  Wednesday, February 19, 2014 TIME: 7:00 pm

PLACE: Lincoln Center 
935 Maple Avenue, Room 509
Downers Grove

EXPERT PANEL:

Hal Sprague Water Policy Manager for Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT),
                          an innovations center for urban sustainability                                   
                          

Kay McKeen Executive Director of SCARCE, educating and building
                         sustainable communities since 1990

Karen Daulton Lange       Storm Water Administrator for the Village of Downers
                                      Grove

The League of Women Voters welcomes everyone to this public information meeting.

For additional information, see the local League website, www.dgwl.il.lwvnet.org, or contact Hilary Denk at 630-724-9528 or j.denk@comcast.net.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization, dedicated to making democracy work through voter education, issue advocacy, and citizen participation.





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Thursday, February 13, 2014

DuPage County Proposed Action Plan for CDBG Disaster RecoveryFunds

In anticipation of receiving $7,000,000 in Disaster Relief funding, DuPage County has prepared a Proposed Action Plan for use of the funds.  A public comment period will run through Friday, February 21, 2014.

 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant is in response to the declared major disasters in DuPage County, specifically the April, 2013 flooding.

You can find detailed information on the Action Plan using the provided links:

  • Citizen Participation Plan (PDF)
  • Citizen Participation Plan in Spanish (PDF)
  • Action Plan Executive Summary (PDF)
  • Action Plan Executive Summary in Spanish (PDF)
  • CDBG-DR DuPage Action Plan
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    More news on the graduated income tax


    The Naperville Sun's Hank Beckman reports the following

    DuPage County Board comes out against progressive income tax

    “The state’s problems cannot be solve by cutting (spending) alone ... the state needs revenue,” County Board member Liz Chaplin (D-Downers Grove) said in opposition to the resolution.
    Chaplin also said that the business of addressing the state income tax was “not germane to county business ... let the voters decide.”
    Chaplin’s Democratic colleagues no the board backed her up completely.
    “Nobody here is anti-business,” Tony Michelassi (D-Aurora), said, but he agreed with Chaplin that the matter was one best addressed by the General Assembly.
    He also pointed out that the board had taken no action to keep Office Max in Naperville before they left and took their 1,600 Illinois jobs to Florida.
    Michelassi accused some of those opposing a referendum of merely seeking a “credential for future office” and pointed out that some polls showed up to a 77 percent approval rating among the public for the graduated tax.

    You can read the full story here

    You can learn more about the progressive income tax here and here.

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    Wednesday, February 12, 2014

    DuPage takes symbolic stand against progressive tax


    The Daily Herald Reports

     DuPage takes symbolic stand against progressive tax you can read the full story  here.

     The out come of the meeting was no surprise but what was surprising was the amount of people that came to support the Graduated Income Tax on a very cold winter morning.  The fact that we were able to rally so many people in such a short period of time is amazing.  We had a variety of speakers representing the true diversity of  our community .  The energy and momentum for a Graduated Income tax was not to be dismissed.  

    You can learn more about the Graduated Income Tax here and here.
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    Monday, February 10, 2014

    Let the Voters Decide on the Graduated Income Tax


    This Tuesday the DuPage County board is going to vote to take away the voice of the people by formally opposing the Graduated Income Tax Legislation.  By passing this resolution the board is encouraging the General Assembly to vote "no"on their joint resolutions, essentially removing the citizens from the equation. The vote will allow the DuPage County board to use your hard earned to tax dollars to pay lobbyists to keep you out of the political process. Citizens should be encouraged to be actively engaged in their government and they should certainly be given the opportunity to have a say in how they are taxed, no matter what side of the debate they are on.

     If having a say in your government is important to you, come let your voice be heard!


    When:   Tuesday, February 11, 2014

     Where:  DuPage County
                  3rd Floor 
                  421 N. County Farm Rd
                  Wheaton, Il 60187

     Time:    10:00 a.m.

    You can find information on the Graduated Income Tax here and here.




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    Sunday, February 9, 2014

    This Week's Meetings


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    Friday, February 7, 2014

    Laurie Nowak's Interview with Gary Zidek from WDCB 90.0 FM

    Laurie Nowak DuPage County Board Member, District 6 talks with Gary Zidek from WDCB 90.9 FM about why she supports the Graduated Income Tax. While opposing the Graduated Income Tax is a novel idea, Laurie Nowak uses a facts-based and common sense  approach for her support of the Graduated Income Tax. Laurie hits the ball out of the park in this interview.
    Local Property tax is what is hurting local residents and businesses. Property taxes are high because the flat tax does not allow the State to fund schools properly so the burden is passed down to the local level.  Local property tax burden is 40%  compared to 7% in income tax and the S-corps the income tax is closer to 5%.  For local businesses the property tax is a fixed costs whether they are making a profit or not, same goes for families in DuPage. 

     Despite not knowing details of the brackets or rates that has not stopped some on the DuPage County Board from using scare tactics and throwing out statics that a lot of families and businesses are going to be hurt by this. The rates themselves are going to be subject to much discussion and debate. Before that can even happen voters are going to be the ones to decide whether or not the legislature should make that change.

     Laurie points out that the general fund deficit has been reduced by half over the past 4 fiscal years.
    Core services have been cut 25%,  Illinois ranks 2nd lowest in general funds spending in the midwest, which negatively effects the elderly, disabled  and children on a daily bases and also compounds problems with infrastructure, education, health services and law services which we all benefit from and need to remain funded at a level that keeps them sustainable.

     You can listen to the complete interview here.
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    Wednesday, February 5, 2014

    Let's Talk Taxes - Why Illinois should think about ditching the regressive flat tax



     Today I am featuring a post By Laurie Nowak - DuPage County Board Member, District 6 and Member of the Economic Development Committee

     

    February 4, 2014 at 6:56pm
    Today I was the only Economic Development committee member to vote in support of a fairer, graduated state income tax for Illinois. Illinois is considering joining 34 other states who have already enacted a graduated income tax, instead of the flat tax system we have now. Before this can be done, 3/5 of lawmakers must vote to allow a ballot question to allow voters to decide which tax system they prefer. But my fellow committee members apparently do not want it go take that route, as they all voted in support of the status quo.

    The Economic Development Committee held "hearings" on the subject of flat tax vs graduated tax. Up until today, we only heard from partisan speakers who were brought in to spout rhetoric (providing no data to back up their claims). They came with no studies, no presentations, no statistics, no plan. 

    They didn't hesitate to cast blame - yet when I asked them, they could not or would not verify whether the revenue from the temporary tax increase was being used to pay down debt or not (that's right, even the State Senator who was invited couldn't answer that) - they just alluded that it was being spent frivolously. 

    It was not until today when Ralph Martire from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability presented that my question was answered - and the fact is that core services in Illinois were CUT nearly 25%. Payments on debt is the spending that increased. 

    CTBA reported that, believe it or not, "Illinois is actually one of the lowest spending states in the nation. In fact, Illinois ranked 49th nationally in the number of state employees per 1,000 residents. Despite having the largest population in the Midwest, Illinois ranks second lowest among Midwest states in General Fund spending on services." 

    Having these hearings go through Economic Development rather than Legislative Committee where they belong pushes the Board to look at this issue with tunnel vision rather than a wide angle lens at the whole picture. 

    Of course it is important to consider how policy will affect businesses in the state - but PEOPLE were left out of the equation in these discussions. With so many living at or below the poverty line in DuPage, it is our responsibility to consider the impact on our hard-working middle-class residents and not overly-burden those most unable to pay. 

    That being said, what I believe is toxic to the Illinois business environment is the perpetuation of fear and rhetoric that Illinois is bad for business. 

    In reality, Illinois ranked fifth in the nation for best corporate locations. Illinois posted the strongest growth in the entire Midwest for the fourth quarter of 2013. Illinois is the largest exporting state in the Midwest and fifth largest in the country. Illinois was ranked 16th most innovative state in the country. Western Access/I-390 will bring 65,000 jobs to the DuPage region. And Advantage Illinois has assisted in creating 2000 new jobs in two years in Illinois. 

    It's not all doom and gloom - and hiding behind fear-mongering is wrong. The majority of Illinois residents SUPPORT a graduated income tax. People actually support consumption tax on services as well - which was not discussed at these hearings. What residents largely do take issue with, which was only touched upon (again thanks to the big picture approach taken by Mr. Martire), is the property tax.

    You can read more of the Graduated Income Tax here, here, here and here.
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