It's campaign time
and the livin' is easy
by James Ylisela Jr.

I t’s election time, and you know what that means, kids. Tax cuts! Yippee!

One of the real treats of any campaign season is watching politicians trip over themselves in their zeal to give us a few bucks in exchange for our votes. In certain jurisdictions, stuffy legal types would refer to this practice as “bribery.” But in the realm of politics, it comes under the heading “good public policy” or “long overdue relief for the struggling middle class.”

As the presidential campaign heats up, Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush will debate the size and scope of a potential federal tax cut, now that the government sports a nifty surplus and the money seems to be burning a hole in every congressional pocket.

But in Illinois, we’re way ahead of the game. In April, the Illinois General Assembly ended its pre-election festivities by passing a one-time, 5 percent rebate on 1999 property taxes. Checks averaging $100 or so will show up in homeowners’ mailboxes sometime this fall, just in time for Election Day. The extra pocket money — not quite enough for dinner and a movie — comes to us courtesy of a $280 million installment on Illinois’ share in the national tobacco settlement.

I can use an extra hundred bucks as much as the next guy, but is this really the best use of tobacco money? Is $100 going to convince anyone to stop smoking, or warn my son of the dangers of tobacco? Probably not, but that’s missing the point. Sending people checks at election time, however meaningless, ranks right up there with kissing babies and accusing your opponent of being a card-carrying member of (a) the American Civil Liberties Union, or (b) the National Rifle Association. It’s what politicians do.

Besides, everybody loves a windfall, and that’s what a tax cut feels like. It’s mad money, to spend as we please. And it gives our elected officials a campaign theme: “Hey, I gave you $100. Shouldn’t you vote for me?”

Taxes are confusing and complicated, especially property taxes, which these days seem to finance everything local governments want to do. So you don’t miss out on the fun, here’s a handy guide to help you keep track of whether your tax dollars are coming or going: When politicians are running for re-election, they cut your taxes; when they’re not running for re-election, they raise your taxes. You could look it up.

Mayor Richard M. Daley has really got this down. When the mayor runs for re-election, the city budget is bursting with pork, with a little goodie bag for every alderman and city neighborhood. In November 1998, for example, Daley and his aldermanic buddies were thinking ahead to their next election, in the spring of 1999. So they passed a budget loaded with millions of dollars in neighborhood improvements and, most important, a $20 million property tax cut.

The astute Richard Mell, alderman of the city’s 33rd Ward, could barely contain himself. Mell advised his colleagues to use the budget “as a cornerstone of your re-election bid.” And that’s just what they did.

Daley and his minions won another blowout that spring, then hunkered down to work on the city’s spending plan for 2000. And lo and behold, Daley proposed four straight years of up-to-the-hilt property tax hikes — more than $13 million a year — to pay for new libraries and police and fire stations. The aldermen, still flush from their own election victories, showed their usual courage and independence, approving the increases without a peep.

Nevertheless, last month, city officials announced a preliminary 2001 budget deficit of $115 million. But with property taxes no longer a viable political option, the Daley Administration is expected to use fee increases and cost savings to balance the books by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, some city residents already have received their new property assessments, with increases of up to 53 percent, which will be reflected in next year’s tax bills.

But Chicagoans needn’t worry. They’ve still got that $100 coming courtesy of state lawmakers, who have their own campaign timetables. Don’t spend it all in one place.

James Ylisela Jr. teaches urban reporting at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s the acting editor of The Chicago Reporter.

www.uis.edu/~ilissues Illinois Issues September 2000 . 41 ---