On the minds of many rural communities is the collecting and spending of taxpayer money. The Forgotonians felt–as much of the lower portion of Illinois still feels today–that most of tax revenue went to benefit the city of Chicago in Cook County. This was one of Gamm’s major talking points, as these fiscal issues can have a huge impact on the average family trying to get by. For example, as was discussed in the transportation section, Gamm frequently pointed out that the voters of western Illinois, “overwhelmingly approved the 1970 Transportation Bond Program, and in so doing voted to increase their gasoline taxes and license fees to pay for a system of supplemental freeways to serve Western Illinois, a well as other parts of Illinois.’”[1] However, no such roads were built.
Additionally, Gamm communicated on behalf of the region that he felt the Forgotonians were paying far more than their fair share, all while receiving less than anyone else. In the formal state petition Gamm personally sent to all the counties and to the Illinois Government, he said the counties comprising Forgotonia had, “less than 30% of their Federal tax dollar returned to them in appropriate services, and receiv[ed] a similar small return of their state tax dollars.”[2] He also directly attacked the unfair treatment of western Illinois as compared to Cook County, saying the Forgotonian counties, “collect[ed] 97% of taxes assessed, compared to collections as low as 42% of assessments in one major Illinois county.” [3]. It was no mystery to anyone reading it that he was specifically addressing Chicago, but he did not directly name it for professional and political reasons.
In all, one of the best ways to make most people angry is to waste their hard-earned money. Western Illinois continually felt that it was receiving “the short end of the stick,” as Gamm frequently put it, and he wanted to lead a movement to put an end to that mistreatment. The slogan “The Region of Little Return on Tax Dollars,” seen on the previous sub-tab was an appropriate summation of Forgotonia.
[1] Ft. Madison, Iowa Democrat, September 10, 1973, Western Illinois University Archive, “Neal Gamm Collection.”
[2] Petition Requesting Consent to Form a New State, Western Illinois University Archive, “Neal Gamm Collection.”
[3] Ibid.