The layout at Light Brite allowed for everyone to break off into groups to meet with HBA Leadership for updates on Government Affairs, Events & Meetings, Governance Discounts/Benefits offered from all three levels of our organization. Not to mention… the food and drinks were in abundance! So many great connections and catching up with industry friends were all in order and achieved. 2
Every month the HBA President & Executive Officer attend Southwest Illinois Council of Mayors meetings. This month was sponsored by Mayor Roach of O’Fallon with the new SAFB Commander as the guest speaker. As the commander addressed the group she shared information that Scott AFB has been ranked the best base to serve at. The article below gives the details of what the qualifications were. BE PROUD that we have this honor for so many reasons including the beautiful homes and communities HBA members build. Pictured from left to right: Beth Jacob, HBA 2018 Acting President, Colonel Leslie Maher, SAFB 375th Air Mobility Wing and Installation Commander and Colonel Mike Hornitschek, former SAFB Commander and Director of strategic Development at StraightUp Solar Metro East residents can understand why our region’s largest and most prominent defense facility earned such a high rating, but many higher-profile host communities were probably surprised. According to Air Force Times, Scott and the other top-rated bases are “diamonds in the rough” that “provide good places for airmen to raise families and entertain themselves” as they do their duty and defend our country. Using independent public sources, Air Force Times editors produced ratings for each facility based on nine regional criteria and three base-specific factors important to service members. In calculating final scores, ratings for school quality, cost of living, and housing costs were judged to be the most important community considerations and were triple-weighted. Scores for regional crime rates and transportation were doubled, while ratings for air pollution levels, climate, unemployment rates and sales taxes received no additional weighting. Scott led the final tabulation with an overall score of 167, tied with Ohio’s Wright - Patterson AFB. 3 Scott topped the list due to superior ratings given to Southwestern Illinois for school quality, cost-of-living and affordable housing. Air Force Times calculated school ratings on a combination of standardized test scores, year-to-year student improvement and graduation rates, and then averaged scores for all rated schools within a 10-mile radius of each base. These ratings prove that our communities’ willingness to invest in quality education is paying dividends for the entire region, as well as for the families whose children are enrolled. If the study had also calculated the benefits of available postsecondary education opportunities, Scott AFB’s score would likely soar even higher. Scott is also the only base in the Air Force Times’ Top Ten that is served directly by a rail transit system. This is one more important factor that puts Scott in a class by itself. Among several comments by individual airmen included in the report, Metro Link was cited as a distinct advantage for Scott AFB service members. Article courtesy of Air Force Times
Metro East Dream Homes Campaign $250 per HBA Builder Member ~ FREE for HBA UCC Members Sponsorship Opportunities available for Trade Partner members of CA Jones, CMI Construction, CMG Custom Construction, D&F home Builders, Fulford Homes, Garrett E. & Herschel E. Johnson Real Estate & Development Co., Huntington Chase Corp., New Tradition Homes, Padgett Building & Remodeling Co., Remington Properties, Spencer Homes & Vogt Builders. 10+ Builders have signed up for our new social media/digital campaign “Metro East Dream Homes”. Featuring videos of their communities and homes to be featured on Facebook, Instagram and HGTV with many other outlets. Video production on site at Builder homes scheduled thru year end 2018 DOWNLOAD DETAILS 10+ Home Show booths were sold as a direct result of our luncheon held last month. We are over half way full in the main room at our new location! Become an exhibitor for the 2019 Spring Home Show! 2019 HOME SHOW EXHIBITOR PACKET VIEW 2019 AVAILABLE BOOTH SPACES 4
Filings revealed that between 2013 and 2017, this PAC directed over $2,780,000 to the election committees of lawmakers currently sitting in the General Assembly. The majority of that spending - almost $2.7 million (96 percent) - was directed toward the election committees of Democrats. Filings show Republican election committees received only $101,000 during the same time period. AFSCME has claimed to be a “leading voice for working families in the state of Illinois” AFSCME members upset by the unions political spending do have recourse. They can stop their hard-earned money from being funneled to Madigan and allies by resigning from the union and telling their employers to stop deducting dues from their paychecks. - Mailee Smith, Staff Attorney 5
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Last Chance! - Bill Ward, HBAI Illinois is in crisis! What’s on the line in this election is Article IX, Section 3, Paragraph (a) of the Constitution of the State of Illinois, which states: “A tax on or measured by income shall not be at a non -graduated tax rate. At any one time there may be no more than one such tax imposed on corporations. In any such tax imposed upon corporations the rate shall not exceed the rate imposed on individuals by more than a ratio of 8 to 5” Next year, everyone knows there will be a constitutional amendment offered in the Illinois General Assembly that will delete “non-graduated rate” with graduated rates. But did you know too, that there will likely be in that same proposal, language to de-couple the individual income tax rate from the corporate income tax rate. What the graduated rates will be is anyone’s guess: lower for some, higher for others. But where the corporate income rate lands will be anywhere but down; and that is for certain. Now let’s throw in some other whoppers like taxing our automobile travel by the mile, and service taxes on home repair and remodeling. And, last but not least, a 1% tax on the assesses value of your real estate for the purpose of paying down our state’s pension debt. We can’t pay our bills. Our pension systems are “underwater”. Chicago is the murder capital of the USA and is one of the fewer major cities to lose population in the last decade. If the polls are accurate, JB Pritzker will be elected Governor. The House, Senate and Governor will be controlled by the Democrats (good or bad depending on your point of view.) Presently, the average Illinois property taxes are about 2.25% (second highest rate behind only the State of New Jersey) $6,750 on a $300,00 home (depending on School districts ect.) Under the proposed increase the new tax bill would be a $9,750… $3,000 increase! As costs go up, real estate values go down! What can we do ? #1 VOTE—Election day is less than two week away. #2 Call or write your State Senator or Representative and ask him or her to resist the proposed 1% real estate tax increase. #3 Donate to HomePAC, the campaign arm of the Home Builders Association of Illinois. HomePAC will fight the Graduated tax plan and the Statewide Property Tax. Go to hbai.org to make your money fight for you! - Jack Lageschulte 1981 HBAI President HBA PAC Pledge Local HBA PAC __$25 Annual donation __ $50 Annual donation __ $100 Annual donation __ $500 Annual donation includes 1 Gov’t Official Reception ticket ($250 Local; $150 State; $100 National) __ $1,000 Annual donation Includes 2 Gov’t Official Reception tickets and 3 PAC 50/50 raffle tickets. ($500 Local; $300 State; $200 National ) __ Other amount, based on suggestions above $___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name and Company Name _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone and Email ___Amount enclosed (payable to Southwest IL HBA PAC) ___Invoice company 7
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Gent r i f i ca t i on i s Good Over the past few decades, the term “gentrification,” i.e. high-income persons and households moving into poor minority neighborhoods, who, in doing so, push out significantly poorer lifelong residents, has become one of the most negatively loaded words in urban circles. Almost everyone has heard about a formerly inexpensive community that over a decade became very pricy and celebrated its recovery with the arrival of a Whole Foods selling overpriced kombucha and GMO-free produce. As appealing and as plausible as this story may be, it’s an urban myth. The best empirical analyses conducted by urban economists have failed to detect a rise in displacements within gentrifying neighborhoods. This finding goes so much against conventional wisdom it seems impossible, but it’s true. As a matter of fact, researchers find that poor residents are more likely to stay put as their neighborhood improves. Moreover, the benefits of gentrification, in terms of reduced crime and better amenities, more employment opportunities, and reduced commutes are rarely, if ever, considered by naysayers. There are three primary reasons why many believe that the poor suffer when wealthier residents move in. The first is that while all Americans move quite a bit, on average about 11.5 times during their lifetime, not everyone moves an equal amount. For example, from 2012 to 2013, 28 million Americans over age 15 moved: 11% of the population. Among households with incomes over $100,000, the percentage that moved was just 7%, compared to 13% for those with incomes below $5,000 excluding government benefits. As a result, merely observing that there are fewer poor in a neighborhood in no way suggests that gentrification is to blame. A second explanation is that poor neighborhoods have had so little investment for so long, there is considerable slack in both their residential and commercial property markets. In most middleElliot Eisenberg, PhD. I GraphsandLaughs, LLC. and upper-class neighborhoods, virtually all housing units, store fronts and office spaces are occupied. So, the arrival of a new household or business means the departure of another. But in poorer neighborhoods there are many vacant storefronts and apartments, so much so that relatively large numbers of wealthier households can move in and not push out existing residents or businesses. One study calculated that a low-income New York City neighborhood could go from a population that is 30% poor to 12% poor over a decade without displacing anyone. Another reason the poor are not as adversely impacted as one would expect is that local governments often promote affordable housing programs such as rent control, inclusionary zoning, or other rent stabilization programs in neighborhoods that experience rapidly rising rents. Moreover, in neighborhoods experiencing rapid price appreciation, some market rate units are also built. Because of this increase in supply, rents rise less quickly. Separately, but closely related to the above, many persons who bemoan gentrification simultaneously lament racial segregation and the lack of investment in non-white neighborhoods. The introduction of wealthier residents lessens the percentage of poor persons, and that has been shown to reduce teen pregnancy and incarceration rates and other such negative outcomes. Moreover, in these communities these improved social outcomes happen through market forces and frequently absent governmental intervention. To argue against gentrification is to encourage the status quo and insist that poor neighborhoods remain poor and segregated, and needlessly cut off from opportunity. Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President of GraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be reached at Elliot@graphsandlaughs.net. His daily 70-word economics and policy blog can be seen at www.econ70.com. You can subscribe and have the blog delivered directly to your email by visiting the website or by texting the word “BOWTIE” to 22828. 10
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DOWNLOAD DETAILS HBA Special Publications Coordinator, Leonard Wolf, will be reaching out to all members for advertising opportunities in these annual publications. You can reach Len directly at (618) 566-7170 or email to wolf.leonard@yahoo.com 12
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As an HBA Annual Sponsor your exposure to HBA members and industry friends is taken to the highest levels along with many benefits throughout the calendar year. • 1/4 Page Ad in Public Directory & Full Page in Membership Directory • Touch Program (monthly notices to HBA members) Logo Sponsor • Top Level Sponsorship at Sport Clay Shoot, Golf Outing and Christmas Party • Choice of recognition at Par-Tee Golf Outing or Trivia Night • Banner, newsletter and website home page & professional industry listings page • Full Page Ad in the Membership Directory • Sport Clay Shoot Score Sheet Sponsor, Golf Outing Contest Sponsor, Trivia Night Round Sponsor and Christmas Party Dessert Sponsor • Banner, newsletter and website home page & professional industry listings page (valued at $1,000) • 1/2 Page Ad in the Membership Directory • Sport Clay Shoot Station Sponsor, Golf Outing Hole Sponsor & Christmas Party entry for two (2) • Banner, newsletter and website home page logo recognition (valued at $500) • Banner, newsletter and website home page logo recognition and quarterly newsletter half page ad All levels are negotiable with equal offerings for different events or promotions. Call the HBA office to personalize your tier. Register your commitment level: Platinum $1,500 Gold $1,000 Company Silver $500 Email address Bronze $250 ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Name ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Phone Payment Options: ___ Invoice ___ Check Enclosed ___ 3 month payment option ___ Credit Card* *credit card payments will include an additional 4% convenience fee ________________________________________________ Credit Card# Visa or Mastercard ONLY Exp Date _____________________________________________________________ Signature Complete and return this form by January 31, 2019 to: Home Builders Association of Greater Southwest Illinois, 6100 West Main St., Maryville, IL 62062 Office: (618) 343-6331 - Fax: (618)343-6335 - Email: hba@hbaswil.org - www.hbaswil.org 14
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6100 West Main Street Maryville, IL 62062-6688 Office (618) 343-6331 Fax: (618) 343-6335 Email: hba@hbaswil.org WWW.HBASWIL.ORG
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