UPDATE 2/25/2009 -- Curiosity stirred about Rahm Emanuel's taxes
Illinois Review has received an incredible amount vile hate email, comments, and phone calls because we had the nerve to ask questions about Rahm Emanuel's property taxes. In fact, for the first time in our history we had to close the comment section of two posts because it was being overrun with malicious remarks.
Indeed, the thuggery of the Left and their political masters here in Illinois has been on full display. It is a Chicago-style that will soon be exported to Washington, D.C.
That said, Illinois Review is not going to stop asking questions. Nor will we mimic the Left, whose propaganda machines never allow facts to get in the way of their lies. When our questions are answered and those answers verified, we let our readers know.
To that end, we wanted you aware that our questions about Emanuel's taxes prompted the Cook County Assessor's Office to contact us and attempt to clarify the rather unclear Cook County property taxation system and the information provided on its website.
We subsequently had the Cook County Assessor's Office's answers verified. And while most of the experts we spoke with said that the assessment system in Chicago doesn't pass the smell test, they did say that it is "seems possible" that the Assessor's Office's answers are accurate.
According to Mr. Eric Herman, director of communications for the Cook County Assessor's Office, the Emanuel's home consists of two non-sequentially numbered lots - 4232 N. Hermitage Ave. and 4228 N. Hermitage Ave. We do not know exactly why they are non-sequential.
Mr. Herman wrote us that "the tax bill is listed where the Emanuel home is located" and that "they are on two lots." According to Mr. Herman, "for tax purposes the property is listed as 4232 N. Hermitage Ave."...but "4228 N. Hermitage is listed as the mailing address on the tax records."
While there is no PIN number associated with 4228 N. Hermitage, there is one for 4232 N. Hermitage, which when checked on the Cook County Treasurer's website, shows property taxes of $13,022.60 paid last year. FYI - the value of the Emanuel's home when purchased ten years ago was $695,000. We have no way of knowing if the property taxes paid on 4232 N. Hermitage are fairly assessed.
Again, according to Mr. Herman, the Cook County Assessor's Office doesn't "assess property by address". They "do it by PIN". And according to Mr. Herman it seems "apparent" that "a previous owner had taken three lots and turned them into two."
Okay IR readers...everything clear? Now stop asking questions!
POSTSCRIPT: We were emailed this morning by the Cook County Assessor's Office, and cited court cases among other things. We needn't say more. The previous posts which questioned Mr. Emanuel's taxes have been removed. As a volunteer blog we are not able to stand alone.
