Whence taxes?

In a town meeting about taxes,

[Township pseudo-assessor] ElSaffar explained taxes have increased steadily due in large part to a series of successful voter approved tax referendums and residential assessment increases.

There we have it, ladies and gentlemen.  We or someone like us voted up those referendums, for good or bad reasons, depending whom you ask.  This is plain talk from ElSaffar (who is pseudo because he doesn’t assess anything but voters’ ire — worst he’s seen this time around — but explains things).

“It's partly our own fault. We've never seen a referendum in Oak Park that we've said no to,” said one taxpayer, a UIC prof, adding ominously, “We need to look very carefully at what we're voting for."*

Won’t happen.  Depends how many look carefully.  Some always have, but teachers and parents have won the day every time, including this blogger working might and main for his six kids in public schools.  As long as OP is home to a school population like this, the referendums will pass.  Trust me.

This is not a retirement village, in other words.  This also spells doom for the Perennial Outs in the April village board elections.  Shockingly In last time, they have irritatingly gone against the Expansion Grain.  This time they will lose.  Trust me.
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* Or this, from another resident, who went to the Board of Review to appeal her taxes: "The man listened to me very politely then when I was done said 'You people in Oak Park come crying to us every year. Stop voting yes for every referendum'."