D31 Pro-Referendum Group: Allstate Hardships Like 'David vs. Goliath'

Top backers of a property tax increase referendum for revved up support Monday night at the Northbrook Public Library.

Aimed at galvanizing residents in hopes of persuading voters to back the March 20 referendum, Howard Hammersley suggested putting the focus on Northbrook-based Allstate, .

Parents like Hammersley hope to shine the light of glaring publicity on Allstate, which many feel is the root cause of the financially-strapped schools’ woes.

“It’s a ‘David vs. Goliath’ story,” Hammersley told the 100 residents and referendum-promoting Citizens for District 31's Political Action Committee members in attendance. He suggested a media blitz emphasizing Allstates' draining of school district resources. “One of the biggest insurance companies in the country literally is bankrupting our school system,” he said.

Independent of Hammersley’s train of thought, resident Matt Tefka, whose three pre-school age children eventually will attend Winkelman School, spoke up about lobbying with TV reporters at a downtown Chicago garage he runs. The garage repairs the remote news trucks of all Chicago TV stations except WGN, whose studios are five miles away. According to Tefka, WMAQ-TV’s Lisa Parker is interested in the District's side of the story and put some spotlight on Allstate.

Hammersley’s and Tefka’s comments prompted Citizens for District 31 spokesman Phil Hollenberg to tell the audience of another company that “re-gifted” tax rebate money back to its local school district. Hollenberg later told Patch that company was Abbott Laboratories.

No such offer is forthcoming from Allstate after several talks between corporate representatives and District 31 superintendent Alexandra Nicholson, a spectator at Monday’s meeting.

Talks with Allstate don’t budge company

“Absolutely,” Nicholson said of attempts to negotiate with Allstate. “Their reaction is they prefer to handle this in the (tax) court system. They do not want to handle this outside the court. Whenever a corporation files a tax appeal, it goes into the circuit court. What happens in tax court is you try to negotiate and agree on the value of the property.

“It is their legal right (to go through the courts). However, they do spend millions of dollars sponsoring basketball or sports. We have met with them several times and have talked with them on the phone several times.”

The frustration with Allstate was so great that one PAC member cupped both hands together, emblematic with the insurance company’s trademark 'You’re in good hands with Allstate' slogan, wondering why the company did not live up to its stated advertising philosophy.

Attempts to corral other private donors to staunch the financial bleeding have failed, Nicholson said.

Citizens for District 31 already has contracted with a public-relations firm supported by community donations. However, that firm is concentrating on the get-out-the-vote campaign for the referendum.

Passage of the referendum would implement an $89 per $100,000 of market home value on District 31 residents’ property-tax bills just to maintain present services and prevent layoffs of teachers in addition to possible wholesale jettisoning of programs at Winkelman and Field Middle School. The refunding of tax revenue by the district--up to 59 percent of the entire schools’ budget according to Nicholson-- is the major contributor to the financial crisis.

Failed vote will prompt cuts ‘to the bone’

If the referendum fails, Nicholson said the district, which already has made $1.8 million in spending reductions since 2008, would have to “cut to the bone” to make up the deficit.

Citizens for District 31 members urged meeting attendees to volunteer by canvassing voters in their neighborhoods, providing access to photocopy machines to mass-produce flyers, and donating stamps and envelopes. Voter registration for any residents not currently signed up was also promoted.

“We’re trying to appeal to people’s hearts,” said Kelly Tess, a sixth-grade teacher at Field School. “Our biggest need for help is block captains (to go door to door).”

Several audience members suggested ways of cutting into expected heavy opposition in the seniors-dominated Mission Hills development, and winning minds and hearts of residents who have no live connections to District 31. But judging from the responses of Tess and others, the PAC isn’t likely to put much emphasis in trying to mine votes at Mission Hills.

PAC members already reported the existence of a opposition group that has posed “Vote No” signs. However, the group is otherwise keeping its efforts and identity low key, they added.

A “Save District 31” Facebook page also has been started. Some 234 members, almost all college students who are alums of Winkelman and Field schools, are signed up.

Stay tuned for Patch's continued coverage of the referrundum debate following District 31's regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting this Thursday, Jan. 26.