May 1998
Illinois Libertarians help defeat new tax
Illinois Libertarians played a crucial role in stopping another proposed tax hike -- defeating a $74.5 million school tax question in the ninth largest school district in the state.
"We did it again," said LP member Ken Prazak. "Our opposition spent $12,000 to our $1,700, yet we still defeated the school tax referendum in District 300."
The final vote in mid-March election: 54.5% to 45.5%.
LP members, working through the Coalition for Accountability in Public Education (CAPE) -- a group of "libertarians, conservative Republicans, and concerned parents" spearheaded by LP member Julie Fox -- convinced voters in the Dundee and Algonquin areas to reject the proposed bond issue, which would have been used to build more schools.
"The arrogant school board went for frills -- such as a health club and day care centers -- instead of the basics, and because of the flyer we distributed, the taxpayers knew better," said Prazak. "They weren't going to pay for a lack of competitive bidding, wasteful spending on bus barns, bloated teachers salaries, [and] extravagant administration costs."
As an alternative to the new tax, CAPE suggested "a back-to basics approach that costs less to educate children," said Prazak. "We presented creative solutions to over-crowding that would include public school choice and non-regulatory charter schools."
With $74.5 million of taxpayers' money safe, Prazak said Libertarians are savoring their victory.
"It was a satisfying victory for us -- and one that has increased our libertarian name recognition in the community, one that has legitimized the libertarian name, one that will expand our libertarian base, one that has established beneficial coalitions, one that has enabled us to get out our ideas on choice and privatization of education, and one that has kept our taxes down," he said.
