This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 12.
A Gurnee man has been charged with aggravated battery, criminal trespass and resisting arrest after he refused to stop filming a well-known Communist activist as she spoke to an ethical humanist gathering in Skokie.
The Skokie police arrested 31-year-old Gregory Koger on Nov. 1 at the Skokie-based Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago when he continued to film writer and activist Sunsara Taylor after being asked to stop. According to the police report, Koger shoved a police officer as he resisted arrest and was subdued using pepper spray.
Witnesses affiliated with Taylor allege police used unnecessary force against Koger.
Taylor stood up before the Ethical Humanist Society's Sunday program, "Peace Corps in the 21st Century," and denounced the society's decision to disinvite her from giving a speech that day. In a phone interview, she said she wanted to give the society a chance to reconsider. "I felt that it was an unethical decision to disinvite me," Taylor said.
The program committee originally invited her to speak on the topic of morality without Gods, said Tom Hoeppner, chairman of the membership committee and moderator of the Sunday program. He said the committee voted to disinvite her less than a month in advance once it learned her speech would focus more on Communist Party activities.
Hoeppner said the president of the Ethical Humanist Society asked Koger to stop filming and he refused. The police report states Koger was told he would be arrested for criminal trespass if he did not comply. Koger turned off his camera after a plainclothes officer told him he was on private property and would have to leave if he did not, according to police.
The society requested an officer attend the event to prevent disruptions after Taylor said she would speak despite being disinvited, Hoeppner said. She made the announcement at a workshop she gave at the society the day before.
According to the report, Koger began filming again, at which time two officers asked him to leave the assembly room. As they escorted him out, they told him he was under arrest for criminal trespass, and he began to resist.
In a statement posted on Taylor's blog, witness Martha Conrad denied Koger resisted arrest. "At no time was the videographer aggressive toward police officers," Conrad wrote. "At no time did he resist arrest."
Conrad said she observed officers "batter" Koger, including beating his head against the floor. She said his face was scratched and his eye was red and tearing when he was taken to the police car.
According to police, officers called the Skokie Fire Department because Koger had been pepper sprayed, but he refused treatment. Conrad said Koger sought treatment at Skokie Hospital after being released.
Koger declined to comment pending his trial. Witnesses affiliated with Taylor also declined to comment further.
According to Koger's personal Web site, he served 10 years in prison after being convicted of armed violence and aggravated battery with a firearm in 1996.
Police did not attempt to stop Taylor from talking, and she completed her statement before heading to the home of an Ethical Humanist Society member, where she gave her speech.
"If I had actually been doing something wrong, you would think that [the president] would want a record of it," Taylor said.
Koger is scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Cook County Courthouse.
Correction: At the end of paragraph five, I originally referred to the Communist Party as the "Community" Party; that was a typo and has been corrected.
Update: This story originally reported Koger's lawyer had approved the witness statement on Taylor's blog. That detail has been called into question and thus has been removed.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
With pension crisis looming, property taxes may rise even higher
This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 5.
In addition to already seeing their property tax bills jump almost 13 percent, Skokie homeowners soon may be paying even more, ending a 19-year property tax freeze.
Faced with a deficit in public pension funding, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees is contemplating options to bridge the gap created by disappointing returns on its investments and the Illinois General Assembly's unfunded mandate of expanded pension benefits.
Finance Director Bob Nowak presented the board with four funding options at a special session last week. Among the ideas were two proposals to increase taxes to fully fund fire and police pension needs, one of which would raise the village's portion of residents' total tax bills 21.7 percent.
In a phone interview, Trustee Donald Perille said while the village has been proactive, the property tax hike may happen. "I think it's entirely possible," he said.
Last year the village's portion of an average annual residential property bill was about $469, which represented only 7.7 percent of the average total bill. According to real estate service Zillow.com, the average home value in Skokie was $269,800 in August. If the board votes to increase the property tax levy for the first time since implementing its freeze in 1990, those who own homes worth the average value can expect their bill to go up approximately $100.
To maintain its heralded property tax freeze, the board may instead choose to fund the pension deficit through raising taxes elsewhere, likely on utilities. A 2 percent increase in levies on electricity and natural gas would provide 94 percent of the needed funding. A 3 percent increase would provide 140 percent.
While these options would keep pensions strong, the burden on the taxpayer would be significant. The other options offer lesser burdens but do not fully compensate for the funding gap, which could weaken pensions. One proposal suggested increasing the property tax levy by 5 percent every year for the next five years, while another proposed lowering the pension funding goal to 90 percent from 100 percent.
Perille advocated a hybrid plan that would use a little of each option to meet the village's goals. "It would spread the burden around so it wouldn't all fall to property owners," he said.
The session occurred the day before the Chicago Tribune reported Skokie's property tax bills will soon jump with a median increase of 12.9 percent, meaning that about half of property owners received a larger increase and about half received a smaller increase.
The Tribune attributed the hike in part to the phasing out of a state-imposed cap on tax assessments, which proved beneficial in a stronger housing market. Now a smaller portion of home values is protected each year for three years, which has translated into higher assessments.
Due to the three-year assessment cycle in Cook County, Skokie home values also haven't been evaluated since 2007, meaning they don't reflect the market's downturn in recent years. Hence, Skokie residents are being taxed based on assessed values that are likely higher than their current home values.
Marketing and Communications Director Ann Tennes said there is nothing the village can do to ease the hike because increases come from districts including the parks and schools, which are separate units of government. This year, the village took only about 7.3 percent of the average property tax bill, compared to the 38.5 percent that went to elementary schools, for instance.
"We have done our part," Tennes said.
The board will further discuss its pension funding options at its Dec. 7 meeting.
In addition to already seeing their property tax bills jump almost 13 percent, Skokie homeowners soon may be paying even more, ending a 19-year property tax freeze.Faced with a deficit in public pension funding, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees is contemplating options to bridge the gap created by disappointing returns on its investments and the Illinois General Assembly's unfunded mandate of expanded pension benefits.
Finance Director Bob Nowak presented the board with four funding options at a special session last week. Among the ideas were two proposals to increase taxes to fully fund fire and police pension needs, one of which would raise the village's portion of residents' total tax bills 21.7 percent.
In a phone interview, Trustee Donald Perille said while the village has been proactive, the property tax hike may happen. "I think it's entirely possible," he said.
Last year the village's portion of an average annual residential property bill was about $469, which represented only 7.7 percent of the average total bill. According to real estate service Zillow.com, the average home value in Skokie was $269,800 in August. If the board votes to increase the property tax levy for the first time since implementing its freeze in 1990, those who own homes worth the average value can expect their bill to go up approximately $100.
To maintain its heralded property tax freeze, the board may instead choose to fund the pension deficit through raising taxes elsewhere, likely on utilities. A 2 percent increase in levies on electricity and natural gas would provide 94 percent of the needed funding. A 3 percent increase would provide 140 percent.
While these options would keep pensions strong, the burden on the taxpayer would be significant. The other options offer lesser burdens but do not fully compensate for the funding gap, which could weaken pensions. One proposal suggested increasing the property tax levy by 5 percent every year for the next five years, while another proposed lowering the pension funding goal to 90 percent from 100 percent.
Perille advocated a hybrid plan that would use a little of each option to meet the village's goals. "It would spread the burden around so it wouldn't all fall to property owners," he said.
The session occurred the day before the Chicago Tribune reported Skokie's property tax bills will soon jump with a median increase of 12.9 percent, meaning that about half of property owners received a larger increase and about half received a smaller increase.
The Tribune attributed the hike in part to the phasing out of a state-imposed cap on tax assessments, which proved beneficial in a stronger housing market. Now a smaller portion of home values is protected each year for three years, which has translated into higher assessments.
Due to the three-year assessment cycle in Cook County, Skokie home values also haven't been evaluated since 2007, meaning they don't reflect the market's downturn in recent years. Hence, Skokie residents are being taxed based on assessed values that are likely higher than their current home values.
Marketing and Communications Director Ann Tennes said there is nothing the village can do to ease the hike because increases come from districts including the parks and schools, which are separate units of government. This year, the village took only about 7.3 percent of the average property tax bill, compared to the 38.5 percent that went to elementary schools, for instance.
"We have done our part," Tennes said.
The board will further discuss its pension funding options at its Dec. 7 meeting.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Skokie board approves downtown revitalization plan
This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 4.
After nearly eight months of research, the village government's plan to revitalize downtown Skokie received approval to go forward Monday.
In a unanimous decision, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees adopted the Downtown Task Force's recommendations to create a "lively, attractive, active commercial district," according to the plan's mission statement. Known as the Downtown Skokie Action Plan, the two-phase strategy would first improve the traffic flow and aesthetics of the downtown area, then actively recruit developers and retailers. Economic Development Coordinator Tom Thompson said the village has already started marketing.
"While we have earmarked 2012 as the beginning year for retail recruitment, I don't want to give the impression that we're not going to do any retail recruitment before that," Thompson said. "We've already done some with some success, and we will continue at that."
The plan is based on a market analysis by Chicago consulting firm 4Insights presented to the task force in June. It also includes the suggestions of the Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie, whose membership includes about 60 to 70 percent of downtown retail businesses, according to president Randy Miles.
Thompson discussed improving Lamon Avenue between Oakton Community College and downtown to reach the "untapped market" of students. He also laid out ideas for making Oakton Street more pedestrian- and retail-friendly, including narrowing the street to create more parking and hiring professional designers to advise retailers on window displays.
Despite the unanimous vote, Trustee Donald Perille questioned 4Insights' recommendation that businesses switch from flat signs to blade signs, which protrude from a building instead of lying flat against it.
"I heard [the consultant] say blade signs, and my blood ran cold," Perille said.
According to Perille, who has worked for the village government since 1961, Skokie used blade signs until about 35 years ago, when it switched to flat signage to give the downtown a neater appearance and make the signs easier to read. In a phone interview, he said the change took about five years and some business owners objected to the expense. In the end, though, the change was popular, he said.
Perille also asked the task force to take inventory of existing commercial space to see how much is vacant before further development. He warned building more could further harm current property owners in a weak economy.
Village Manager Albert Rigoni urged Perille to consider the plan "conceptual" when Perille voiced his objections, assuring him developments would come before the board before implementation.
Perille said downtown Skokie looked like "a jumble, hodge-podge" if one looked east down Lincoln Avenue in the late 1960s. Today there's "more light and air," and the signs are easier to read, he said. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
After nearly eight months of research, the village government's plan to revitalize downtown Skokie received approval to go forward Monday.
In a unanimous decision, the Skokie Village Board of Trustees adopted the Downtown Task Force's recommendations to create a "lively, attractive, active commercial district," according to the plan's mission statement. Known as the Downtown Skokie Action Plan, the two-phase strategy would first improve the traffic flow and aesthetics of the downtown area, then actively recruit developers and retailers. Economic Development Coordinator Tom Thompson said the village has already started marketing.
"While we have earmarked 2012 as the beginning year for retail recruitment, I don't want to give the impression that we're not going to do any retail recruitment before that," Thompson said. "We've already done some with some success, and we will continue at that."
The plan is based on a market analysis by Chicago consulting firm 4Insights presented to the task force in June. It also includes the suggestions of the Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie, whose membership includes about 60 to 70 percent of downtown retail businesses, according to president Randy Miles.
Thompson discussed improving Lamon Avenue between Oakton Community College and downtown to reach the "untapped market" of students. He also laid out ideas for making Oakton Street more pedestrian- and retail-friendly, including narrowing the street to create more parking and hiring professional designers to advise retailers on window displays.
Despite the unanimous vote, Trustee Donald Perille questioned 4Insights' recommendation that businesses switch from flat signs to blade signs, which protrude from a building instead of lying flat against it.
"I heard [the consultant] say blade signs, and my blood ran cold," Perille said.
According to Perille, who has worked for the village government since 1961, Skokie used blade signs until about 35 years ago, when it switched to flat signage to give the downtown a neater appearance and make the signs easier to read. In a phone interview, he said the change took about five years and some business owners objected to the expense. In the end, though, the change was popular, he said.
Perille also asked the task force to take inventory of existing commercial space to see how much is vacant before further development. He warned building more could further harm current property owners in a weak economy.
Village Manager Albert Rigoni urged Perille to consider the plan "conceptual" when Perille voiced his objections, assuring him developments would come before the board before implementation.
Approved by the Skokie Village Board of Trustees on Monday, the Downtown Skokie Action Plan encourages developing "the Floral Triangle," an area near Village Hall bordered in part by Oakton Street and Floral Avenue. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
The two-phase revitalization plan recommends exploring ways to make Oakton Street more pedestrian- and retail-friendly. One suggestion is to narrow the street to create more parking and walking space. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
Economic Development Coordinator Tom Thompson recommended hiring professional help to cover and use vacant storefronts like this one to promote Skokie events. "Every area, no matter how healthy, has them," he said of the vacancies. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
Trustee Donald Perille objected to the Downtown Task Force's suggestion to switch back to blade signage, which protrudes from buildings. He said Skokie changed to flat signs about 35 years ago and that after the initial transition pains, the change was popular. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)
Perille said downtown Skokie looked like "a jumble, hodge-podge" if one looked east down Lincoln Avenue in the late 1960s. Today there's "more light and air," and the signs are easier to read, he said. (Emmarie Huetteman/Medill)Introduction
I'm a master of science in journalism candidate at the Medill School at Northwestern University, studying public affairs reporting with a side of new media.
In May, I graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in political science and anthropology. I wrote for The Michigan Daily for three years, including several semesters as a columnist and associate editor and one summer as editor in chief. I also worked on senior political analyst Jack Lessenberry's show at Michigan Radio in 2008.
The first quarter of Medill's graduate program is devoted to learning the basics of reporting, a process that includes about five weeks of beat reporting. My beat is government, activism, politics, community safety, economic development and housing in Skokie, a suburb located northwest of Chicago.
This is week three of beat reporting.
In May, I graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in political science and anthropology. I wrote for The Michigan Daily for three years, including several semesters as a columnist and associate editor and one summer as editor in chief. I also worked on senior political analyst Jack Lessenberry's show at Michigan Radio in 2008.
The first quarter of Medill's graduate program is devoted to learning the basics of reporting, a process that includes about five weeks of beat reporting. My beat is government, activism, politics, community safety, economic development and housing in Skokie, a suburb located northwest of Chicago.
This is week three of beat reporting.
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