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Dan Ugaste for State Representative

Dan Ugaste for State Representative

A Voice of Reason in a Time of Extremism

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Archives for November 2017

Illinois needs to change the way government is run…

November 27, 2017 by Ugaste Admin

Illinois needs to change the way government is run – starting in Springfield with new leadership that will finally put the people of the State first.

A recent investigation has shown that legal fees paid to property tax appeal lawyers in 2015 totaled roughly $35 million — paid to lawyers like House Speaker Mike Madigan; the same lawyer who has large control over the complex state laws and formulas governing property tax assessments. Investigations have also found that property tax lawyers in Cook County who work in this system donate millions of dollars to campaign funds under the control County Assessor, and Cook County Democratic Party Chairman, Joe Berrios, while property tax appeals have tripled since Berrios took office. Given this scenario, is it any wonder that a recent investigation showed that property tax appeals in Chicago result in reductions approximately 50% of the time compared with 16% in New York?

It is clear the property tax assessment system is broken and corrupt. This is why I am demanding we establish a new property tax assessment system that limits annual property tax bills to a very small percentage of the actual market value of our homes. Without this change, working families will eventually lose their homes, while the certain lawmakers prosper, and the once Great State of Illinois will continue its downward spiral to bankruptcy and irrelevance.

This is one of the reasons I am running – to change the culture of Springfield. It is time that State government puts the PEOPLE of Illinois FIRST! You can read more about the findings here.

Dan Ugaste Calls For Revision Of Laws Governing Legislative Ethics Commission And Inspector General

November 7, 2017 by Ugaste Admin

Dan Ugaste For State Representative
For Immediate Release: November 7, 2017
Contact: Dan Ugaste

GENEVA, ILLINOIS – State Representative candidate Dan Ugaste urges the Illinois General Assembly to begin a full review of the state laws governing the appointment and operation of the office of the Legislative Inspector General when it convenes its veto session on November 7th. The position has been vacant since 2014 until former federal prosecutor Julie Porter was appointed recently in response to the publicity surrounding the three-year backlog of ethics complaints against legislators.

“It is clear that the General Assembly has proven unable to police itself by the lack of action on 27 complaints filed with the General Assembly’s Legislative Inspector General’s office. The very fact that they did not have an Inspector General for three years and no official action was taken on complaints against legislators tells me that much stricter oversight is needed,” said Ugaste. “In order to make people believe that their state legislators will conduct themselves in a legal and ethical manner and will be held accountable if they do not, we need to have unbiased and truly independent oversight.”

In addition to the lack of action on complaints, the Office of the Inspector General has been funded with $1.875 million dollars since 2014 although no complaints have been upgraded to case status and no Legislative Inspector General has been appointed.

“The sexual harassment complaints should have been adjudicated by now and the accused legislators should have either been vindicated or subject to discipline. Instead, the complaints when nowhere,” said Ugaste. “I hope that the appointment of a new Legislative Inspector General and the process to expedite the backlog of complaints will happen before the end of the year.   In the new year, I would urge legislators to amend the law to empower any future interim Inspector General’s to act on complaints.”

 

Background Articles / Videos:

 

https://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06-26/opinion/ct-perspec-0626-inspector-20130626_1_inspector-general-ethics-commission-ethics-act

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-ira-silverstein-sexual-harassment-allegation-20171031-story.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-illinois-capitol-sexual-harassment-changes-20171101-story.html

httpss://youtu.be/DGY5k550dKU

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