By:  Diane Benjamin

Big corporations do two things:

1. Hire people
2. Negotiate taxes

Because of an extensive well-funded legal department, corporations weld a lot of power not available to small business. It’s impossible for free market competition to exist when the biggest entities use their money and connections for perks available only to them.

Here’s the latest from Heartland College – February 2016 Board meeting:  2016 2 16 MinutesFinComm

It’s easier for local taxing bodies to give big corporations a discount than fight.  Of course, what they don’t pay somebody has to make up:

The minutes don’t say how much revenue is generated by raising tuition.

Note the State Farm comment:  “It will keep taxing streams level for the taxing bodies and predictable for State Farm”

Evidently keeping “taxing streams” and tuition level for the rest of us is immaterial.  The power to fight back isn’t in the hands of the people.

Pull out your last property tax bill – look at how much Heartland is costing you.

In the early 1990’s Heartland was sold as never needing a brick and mortar campus.  The tax rate used to be less than .15.  (Pantagraph archives – Editorial dated Nov 20, 1994)

Below is the tax rate for the last few years:

2013:  .48255

2014:  .50667

2015:  .50469

Government agencies always grow to justify their existence.  Is Heartland an asset to the community?  Obviously.

Problem:  Nobody knows what WASN’T created by the private sector because Heartland exists.

What were citizens unable to afford because Heartland exists?

If you didn’t notice, you just identified why Illinois has the highest effective tax rate in the country.  Government isn’t limited, therefore you aren’t free to keep what you earn.

Next:  Heartland Public Comment policy