* Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is almost gleeful about Illinois’ proposed tax hike…

“We already had an edge on Illinois in terms of the cost of doing business, and this is going to make it significantly wider,” Daniels said.

Illinoisans actually pay a lower personal and corporate tax rate than Indiana at the moment, but the proposed tax hike would put us way in front of the Hoosiers.

* Gov. Daniels loves to sock it to us whenever he can. Check out this backhanded praise for Illinois’ plan to use tax hikes and borrowing to finally pay its bills on time…

“That’s [late payments] just borrowing by a different name. They’ve been borrowing from the poor businesses that are suckers enough to do business with the state,” he said.

Oof.

* More…

Daniels also said he’s surprised that two states as geographically and historically similar as Indiana and Illinois could be in such dissimilar financial shape.

“It does show that you can make very different choices, and the contrast between the choice we’ve made and the one they have is stark,” he said. “Obviously I think ours is wiser, but self-governance means people get what they vote for.”

We are close geographically, but we are very different states. Indiana has no big city like Chicago. It’s not a major corporate center, nor is it as racially or culturally diverse. It’s not exactly a cultural mecca, either. Also, the Ku Klux Klan never ran Illinois’ government in the 1920s like it did next door. They have their own eccentricities.

…Adding… Thanks to a commenter for the link…

State leaders boast of 100,000 new Indiana jobs in the past five years, but an Eyewitness News investigation finds many of the state’s “economic successes” are actually empty fields and deserted factories where thousands of promised jobs never showed up.

* Roundup…

* Will 75% tax hike fix Illinois budget mess? - Maybe for only 4 years, some say

* Chicago aldermen critical of proposed income tax increase

* Businesses say proposal is too taxing - State’s plan to boost corporate rate could send companies packing, they warn

* Finke: On tax-rate issue, it’s just Quinn being Quinn

* Will tax hike produce ‘giant sucking sound‘ of jobs leaving Illinois?

* Chuck Sweeny: Lawmakers sing a new tax tune after elections

* Amazon may fight state’s proposed tax on online sales

* Area Lawmakers React to Possible Tax Hike

* Moylan In Springfield For Casino, Gaming Showdown