It Ain't All Big Hair and Cadillacs

TRAC PRESS CONFERENCE A SUCCESS

Reyna Luna and John Kane speak at the TRAC Press Conference with this message: "Take Property Tax Hikes off the table"

The Tax Reform Action Coalition (TRAC) PRESS CONFERENCE at City Hall succeeds in bringing our message:

TAKE PROPERTY TAX HIKES OFF THE BUDGET TABLE

Now you can carry the message even farther.

CALL YOUR ALDERMAN
Click here to find you Alderman

CALL YOUR COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER
Click here to find your Commissioner

CALL MAYOR RICHARD DALEY
312-744-3300

CALL PRESIDENT TODD STROGER
312-603-6400


STOP TAXING US OUT OF OUR HOMES

As a result of politics in Springfield, homeowners in Cook County will receive minimal and short-lived relief. The property tax increases proposed by Mayor Daley and President Stroger could eliminate any miniscule tax break. TRAC demands that these proposed property tax increases be taken off the table.

For more on the Tax Reform Action Coalition visit www.trac-il.org

PASS THIS EMAIL AROUND
MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS
TODAY

PROPERTY TAX BILLS
Expect your tax bills to go out in the mail during the first week of November.

Your second installment PROPERTY TAX BILLS will be due December 3, 2007.

THERE IS NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW TO DEMAND REAL PROPERTY TAX REFORM

TRAC calls for FAIR and PREDICTABLE PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS.
LEARN about a better plan for real property tax reform:

ACQUISITION BASED ASSESSING = FAIR and PREDICTABLE property assessments

Learn about TRAC's campaign to implement ABA at the Cook County level.

For information contact: trac.president@gmail.com


ABA = FAIR and PREDICTABLE

Call or e-mail your legislator today and urge them to vote against the proposed Real Estate Transfer Tax for the CTA/RTA. Even if you've taken action in the past month, please do so again. This issue is being considered again.

A VOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL COULD TAKE PLACE IN THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE ANY DAY NOW.

Senate Bill 572, as amended includes the authority for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and the City of Chicago to impose a real estate transfer tax of $3 per $1,000 within the city of Chicago WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.

The Illinois Association of REALTORS and the Chicago Association of REALTORS STRONGLY OPPOSE this proposal and urge you to contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to REJECT this proposed transfer tax increase.

There are other revenue proposals being considered at this time. Legislators do not have to make property owners pay more.

This is ANOTHER LAYER OF TAXING authority on property owners in Chicago where a very high home rule municipal real estate transfer tax is already in place ($7.50 per $1,000 paid by the buyer) in addition to the State and county real estate transfer tax (combined $1.50 per $1,000 on the seller).

Illinois law also is very clear in that VOTER INPUT is required to impose a new or to increase an existing home rule real estate transfer tax. This proposal contravenes that public policy.

As you are well aware, the real estate transfer tax is a "hidden" property tax because most property owners are not aware of it until they buy or sell property.

PLEASE CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR AND URGE A NO VOTE. ASK THEM WHY PROPERTY OWNERS ARE BEING REQUIRED TO BAIL OUT THE CTA.

To send an e-mail to your Senator and Rep., follow the prompts below.

To call your STATE legislator, go to www.ilga.gov to find your legislators' Springfield phone numbers (the one with a 217 area code). Click on "Legislator Look-up" Or, dial 217/782-2000(Capitol switchboard) and ask to be transferred to your legislator's office if you know the name.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://votervoice.net/target.aspx?id=ilar:19234796

You have received this message because you have subscribed to a mailing list of Illinois Association of REALTORS. If you do not wish to receive periodic emails from this source, please click below to unsubscribe.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED - HELP SAVE THE CTA

Without immediate state funding, 53 percent of all CTA bus routes will disappear in less than three months - including every lakefront express currently serving Edgewater.

Without funding, some of the routes will be dropped in early November, others in January. If nothing is done, you can say goodbye to the #136 Sheridan/LaSalle and the #147 Outer Drive Express - and enjoy the sole remaining lakefront route, the #151 Sheridan, and the Red Line, both of which are sure to be slower and more crowded than ever.

Other important buses, including the #92 Foster and many other east-west routes on the north side, will also vanish, and fares will rise between 11 and 63 percent. All told, the CTA's current funding crisis will result in the most devastating transit cuts in history. This will be a double whammy for Edgewater because more of the additional traffic from the North and West will be traveling through, and increasing pollution to,our community.

There is still time to stop this nightmare scenario from happening - but the General Assembly and Governor Blagojevich must enact a permanent solution before the first round of cuts on November 4. Our local representatives have been working to prevent these cuts. However, the governor and the legislative leadership needs to hear from you. NOW is the crucial time to make your voice heard, as the legislature is reportedly scheduled to reconvene on November lst to address public transit and other funding issues.

Please email, fax or call the statement below to the individuals listed and tell them that these transit cuts and fare increases will devastate Edgewater, the City of Chicago, and indeed the entire region.

As a resident of the Edgewater Community in Chicago, I implore you to find a permanent solution to the mass transit financial crisis - not another bail-out or quick fix - before the November 4 CTA cuts and fare increases go into effect. I sincerely hope that you will join together to solve this issue that will severly impact hundreds of thousands of people across the city and region and damage the economy and the region's world-class status.

Governor Rod Blagojevich
www.illinois.gov
Phone: 217-782-6830
FAX: 217-558-0897

House Speaker Michael Madigan
mmadigan@hds.ilga.gov
Phone: 773-581-8000
FAX: 773-581-9414

Senate President Emil Jones, Jr.
jjones@senatedem.state.il.us
Phone: 217-782-2728
FAX: 773-995-9061

Senator Carol Ronen
ronen@senate.dem.state.il.us
Phone: 773-769-1717
FAX: 773-769-6901

Representative Harry Osterman
hjo17@aol.com
Phone: 773-784-2002
FAX: 773-784-2060

Representative Greg Harris
greg@gregharris.org
Phone: 773-348-3434
FAX: 773-348-3475

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Edgewater Community Council

With the advent of companies currently looking to drive down the cost of the real estate commissions earned by real estate agents/brokers, the focus appears to be solely on costs.

From a consumer's perspective, where does the value lie in the process? What does the value chain look like?

posted 14 hours ago in Supply Chain Management, E-Commerce | Clarify my question

I am facinated with new tools and processes which improve the way I can do my job - but also, how my clients can better educate themselves with the process of buying and selling real estate.

Redfin and Zillow are two excellent examples of companies which are focused on reducing the transaction costs of buying and selling real estate by empowering the consumer with information and tools.

While I am a strong believer that an experienced real estate agent / broker adds tremendous value, what in your opinion are the future trends that may fundamentally change the way we transact the purchase and sale of real estate?

Where are the opportunities today?

Edgewater Community Council, Inc. ¨ 6044 N. Broadway ¨ Chicago, Illinois 60660 ¨ 773-334-5609


Edgewater Community Council (ECC) is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit and voluntary membership organization formed in 1960 to improve the quality of life in the diverse Edgewater community. The Edgewater community is located between Foster Avenue (5200N) and Devon Avenue (6400N), and between Lake Michigan and Ravenswood Avenue (1800W)



Community Planning Meeting
on the Re-use of the
Ridge Fire Station

Thursday, October 18, 2007
Edgewater Baptist Church
1401 West Hollywood at Glenwood
7:00 p.m.


We are asking all who are interested to join neighbors and community groups to provide input on the future of the Ridge Avenue Fire Station. A new firehouse is being constructed and this historic building will be available for some other use. Alderman Mary Ann Smith has stated that she would like to see the station preserved and that a new use be found that would bring local people in and allow them to enjoy the building.

Under the sponsorship of ECC, Mike Rohrbeck has agreed to facilitate a community planning process to examine how this facility can continue to be an asset to the Edgewater Community.

The planning sponsor for this meeting is the Edgewater Community Council and the meeting host is the ETNA Block Club. Refreshments are provided courtesy of the Edgewater Baptist Church.

For more information, contact Sue Morales at 773-728-2573 or via email at mail@etnabc.org

PROPERTY RELIEF GETS HIT BY TAX HIKE

"Oh great. Mayor Daley was waiting for the state to pass a property tax relief bill before he dared to push the biggest property tax increase in Chicago history.

Lawmakers complied Friday -- but picked the version that gives the least relief to battered homeowners. The bad news just keeps coming..."

Click here to read more in the Sun Times

REACTION TO THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF EXTENSION...

"We're held over a barrel because of the legislative Ping-Pong that has gone on and because of a conflict of interest," said state Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago).

Raoul was referring to Madigan's side business representing downtown building owners, who said Blagojevich's version of the tax-relief plan would shift even more tax burden from homeowners to them."

Read more... (click here for the Sun Times article)

PROPERTY TAX BILLS
Expect your tax bills around November 1, 2007. They will be due for payment within 30 days of the mailing date.

Stay tuned for a protest rally! Details will follow...

THERE IS NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW TO DEMAND REAL PROPERTY TAX REFORM

TRAC calls for FAIR and PREDICTABLE PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS.
LEARN about a better plan for real property tax reform:

ACQUISITION BASED ASSESSING
= FAIR and PREDICTABLE property assessments

Learn about TRAC's campaign to implement ABA at the Cook County level.

For information contact: trac.president@gmail.com

ABA = FAIR and PREDICTABLE