* My syndicated column this week was about the governor’s amazingly quick turnabout on property tax relief.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed no direct property tax relief during his annual budget address at the Statehouse last week, but he told me in an exclusive interview afterward that he would back the idea if a crucial Senate Democrat demanded it.

* Cheryle Jackson, who was the governor’s press secretary until recently, didn’t have very kind words for the governor’s gross receipts tax during an interview with the Chicago Defender…

Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson told the Defender that she likes what Blagojevich is trying to do, but she doesn’t agree with the taxation of businesses, which would include some small businesses. […]

“The number one creator of jobs in the Black community is Black businesses. Black business owners are the most important factor in creating jobs in the Black community. The Chicago Urban League’s main priority is to help Black businesses grow.”

“What this legislation does is penalizes the very thing that is the answer to economic development and job creation in the Black community,” Jackson continued. “It penalizes and discourages the very thing that is going to increase more jobs and increase more development in the Black community.”

Jackson would like the governor focus on a plan such as property tax relief, which she said would bring more economic development and money for education to African American communities.

* A story in the SJ-R yesterday reported on how Indiana got rid of its gross receipts tax. But buried way down was this…

Illinois business leaders predict a gross-receipts tax will lead to lost jobs and hurt economic activity. However, Indiana officials admit it’s difficult to document that getting rid of the tax has led to job growth and increased economic activity.

* I’m not sure I linked to this story before the budget address, but it was a good piece about a study done on corporations that don’t pay Illinois income tax…

The Citizens for Tax Justice study found Boeing did not pay income taxes to any state during two of the three years studied, 2001 to 2003. During the two years in which Boeing did not pay state corporate income taxes, the company turned a combined profit of $3.1 billion, McIntyre said.

Other profitable Illinois-based corporations such as Caterpillar, Tribune Co., Sears and Sara Lee successfully avoided paying any state’s corporate income taxes during at least one year of the period studied by Citizens for Tax Justice.

Although tax returns for companies, as well as individuals, are private, the institute was able to determine whether companies were able to avoid state taxes by analyzing documents publicly traded companies must file with the Securities Exchange Commission.

Is it any wonder why the Trib flip-flopped on the GRT?

* The Daily Herald has a brief story about the new ad that Gov. Blagojevich appears in on behalf of his tax hike.

* Insurance giant Aon has some kind words for the governor’s health insurance plan.

Aon applauds Governor Rod Blagojevich’s efforts to craft a health care plan that would provide affordable coverage options to the uninsured and underinsured, and address catastrophic illness and injury. Aon’s own Health Care Trend survey warns about the impact of double-digit health care rate increases.

* Stephanie Silvers of Small Newspapers has a couple of very good stories about the state’s underfunded, slow to pay Medicaid system that patients find bewildering an unhelpful. State Medicaid system overwhelmed… Dentists hard to find under Medicaid