Feeling the tax hike
Thursday, Jan 3, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Senate Republicans…
Here’s some food for thought. Remember that payroll tax cut that Congress granted everyone two years ago and now is expiring?
If you don’t remember the bonus, that’s because here in Illinois workers never saw the money. Governor Quinn and his fellow Democrats immediately took it away from taxpayers by raising state income taxes by an equal amount.
Now, as part of the “Fiscal Cliff” compromise, payroll taxes will return to the previous rates. But, will Quinn give back the tax hike? Not likely, since the state continues to spend more than it takes in, even after the 67% state income tax hike.
Set aside for a moment the debate over whether the tax hike will be allowed to expire.
In the near term, the SGOPs are right that the two percentage point payroll tax holiday meant that Illinoisans didn’t really feel the two-point state income tax hike. But now they will.
Discuss.
- Steve Bartin - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 8:59 am:
Which is just another way of saying Illinois didn’t get the benefit of the FICA tax cut that other states did. Look at the stagnating results. Illinois has a population growth rate well below the national rate since 2010 according to Census estimates.
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:02 am:
The SGOP is right, but that message won’t resonate because 1) Democrats rule in Illinois and 2) the SGOP does a horrible job of selling its valid points.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:07 am:
Very few Americans realized the “payroll tax cut” was actually cutting the employee contribution to Social Security. If it had been honestly presented as shorting the already in trouble SS fund, I doubt there would have been much public support for it two years ago.
That’s part of the reason Washington didn’t extend that cut; they knew SS needed the funds … even if all the Feds are going to do is take the money, spend it, and leave IOU’s. Or you could look at it in a more cynical light and say the extra money in will be used to further expand federal government spending …
A lot of the media is co-mingling the various tax issues and including it as a “income tax hike” in their fiscal cliff stories. Sometimes the truth of it is found in the last paragraph or two of the story.
As far as IL citizens go, most will be “outraged” their taxes went up without understanding which tax and why.
One of the few advantages of being retired these days is I get to ignore this “tax hike”.
- Small Town Liberal - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:09 am:
- since the state continues to spend more than it takes in -
What courage from the same SGOPs that mostly voted to override the Governor’s facility closures:
https://capitolfax.com/2012/11/29/quinn-loses-budget-vote-wont-change-outcome/
Such hypocrisy deserves to be a superminority.
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:18 am:
Much ado about nothing. It’s not like the voters will hold them accountable.
- Poster - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:21 am:
Will the tax hike expire? I’m still waiting for the temporary license plate increase to expire
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:28 am:
Steve, through what wizadry do you correlate marginal tax rate changes and population growth? And all in just a few months, too.
I’m always fascinated by theories that transform tax policy into some uber-thermostat able to control the economic climate in a global economy with just slight adjustments, irregardless of the scores of other factors in play, mostly out of the control of any state government.
You can argue that revenues and expenditures should balance, but that requires a plan and a will to make it happen.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:38 am:
I am reminded of then Senator Paul Simon supporting NAFTA. He was excoriated by members of his own party, labor unions, etc. Sen Simon stood by his convictions and supported the controversial bill. It is a rare politician who takes a stand that appears contrary to will of his constituency. It is possible that had an impact on the his presidential candidacy.
I wish we would see more of that on both sides of the aisle right now.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:49 am:
I am not unsurprised that wordslinger would use the word “irregardless”. Such use of the nonstandard double negative is beneath you.
- Bee - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 9:50 am:
~In the near term, the SGOPs are right that the two percentage point payroll tax holiday meant that Illinoisans didn’t really feel the two-point state income tax hike. But now they will. ~
Two weeks ago, I excitedly called my mortgage underwriters to let them know I received a 4% pay increase. Today, I received my first paycheck showing the increase…. I am actually receiving 6% less than before. I don’t think this is going to help get me out of foreclosure.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 10:00 am:
Thanks, DD, your parsing of my Midwestern vernacular got me thinking about Paul Simon and NAFTA…
- Third Reading - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 10:03 am:
Petulance. Poutiness. Peevishness.
Not a winning formula for a minority party.
I’m outta here.
- Dan Johnson - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 10:07 am:
To be fair, if it wasn’t the “Illinois General Assembly” that raised state income taxes two percent, but instead “Governor Pat Quinn” then it wasn’t “Congress” that created the payroll tax cut for everybody but instead “President Barack Obama” since he and the Dems were the only advocates for it (GOP wanted marginal tax rates especially for high-income to remain at ‘01 levels), and going back to the Recovery Act of 09 that implemented the cut in the first place, that passed with only Democratic votes.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 10:17 am:
Blaming the use of that word on your midwestern upbringing - Oh Prunella.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 11:01 am:
Since the tax increase was 2 years ago and peoples paychecks didn’t go down, and the paycheck cut starts now, my guess is in many peoples minds the blame goes to Congress not the GA and Gov
- HEY JACK, - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 12:54 pm:
Steve and Dan are on target with their comments. My net pay will definitely be 2% lower. How sad for hard working midlle class workers and for that matter all workers. To much spending and not enough accountability. If not corrected soon the U.S. as we know will become more and more socialistic, if changes are not made immediately to our system and with our so called Senators and Representatives. Not to mention the Govenor and current President’s total lack of responsibility to U.S. citizens!
- Scott - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 1:09 pm:
Wait you are blakming Obama for the tax cut the Dems voted for and asking the Republicans that voted against the tax cut to protect you form the tax increase? Brilliant.
- Joe M. - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 1:51 pm:
- Which is just another way of saying Illinois didn’t get the benefit of the FICA tax cut that other states did
However, many states already had higher rates than the 5% rate that Illinois raised its individual income tax rate to. For example, here are the top individual state income rates of some of our neighboring states:
Wisconsin: 7.75%
Iowa: 8.89%
Missouri: 6%
Kentucky: 6%
- Wumpus - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 2:20 pm:
At least I can shop in Cook County again
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 3:04 pm:
Steve, I suspect you are right on attributing the blame to DC instead of SPI.
I do need to hear Oswego Willy’s take on the SGOP point, though.
- Ruby - Thursday, Jan 3, 13 @ 5:08 pm:
It should be noted that the 2 percent increase in the payroll tax brings the employee contribution for Social Security back to 6.2%. Meanwhile the Social Security compounded COLA (cost of living adjustment) has been under attack by many newspapers and politicians under the code words “entitlement reform”. The Social Security defined benefit plan can’t be sustained if the employee contribution is only 4.2%.