18 Comments - Reality Check - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:30 am: Forget the spin, here’s the reality. Voters could decide by referendum if there “may be a fair tax where lower rates apply to lower income levels and higher rates apply to higher income levels.” The Koch Brothers and their ilk want to bury that simple, straight-forward question in an avalanche of money - because they don’t want to pay their share. - OneMan - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:40 am: simple, straight-forward question? Really, than take the words fair tax out of it… State would be a lot more fun if we could editorialize on amendments… Shall the state pass a 8 year term limit on all state elected officials to get the crooks out of office? Shall the state not be allowed to tax the hard working people of this state on the purchase of beer? Just out of curiosity Realtiy Check would you be ok with a right to work amendment being on the ballot if it had language like this May the workers of Illinois have the right to work without being compelled to belong or give money to a labor union? Don’t like the idea, but the whole ‘fair tax’ phrase seems out of place when you are amending the state constitution. - INDEPENDENT - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:44 am: I hope voters are smart enough to know that our current regressive system puts the highest burden on those least able to pay for it. - Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:45 am: Not a very robust buy. - Northsider - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:58 am: (Rich) Americans for (their own) Prosperity. - Crankshaft - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:04 am: I really wish the whole progressive tax issue would just go away. Nothing like unions tip toeing around an issue, so now the Koch Brothers are going to start throwing money into Illinois. Brilliant. - Anon - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:09 am: == raising taxes on up to 85% of taxpayers == I´m not aware of any proponent of the graduated income tax who advocates raising taxes on up to 85% of taxpayers. On the contrary, the Martire plan would cut taxes for more than 85%. I suspect we´re dealing with a classic straw man: create a phony argument so you can knock it down. - PublicServant - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:19 am: This confirms that a graduated income tax is exactly what is needed here in Illinois. I’ll echo using Martire’s plan as a starting point for discussion. It’ll actually lower income taxes than are currently being paid on 94% of Illinois taxpayers. - midway gardens - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:35 am: The first peacetime Federal Income tax impacted less than 10% of the population. Taxes sold as only on the rich tend to get all of us. It really is the super wealthy that don’t have to pay high rates due to how they can structure their income. They don’t even have to (though they could) move. After this Winter moving has to be looking good to people with options. This State has an insatiable appetite for money. Expand Medicaid? Sure it’s free…for 3 years. - Arnold Ziffle - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:48 am: A graduated tax isn’t fair? Life isn’t fair; why should taxes be? - Anon - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:55 am: In addition, there´s no prospect that the House could approve an amendment for the graduated tax without a single GOP vote. Since the House GOP claims all its members are opposed, there´s no real prospect that voters will be able to decide whether to alleviate one of the nation´s most regressive tax systems. - Alexander Cut the Knot - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:08 pm: This is to allow a higher rate on the few that are actually paying the tax now. Everybody has the same rate but a large number of people do not actually pay because of income levels, exemptions and tax credits (yes, to the extent of the tax refund, you did not pay the full effective rate). So, we already have a graduated effective tax anyway - the graduated tax movement cannot remove taxes from someone who is not paying already, so it is just about an increase on the top taxpayers. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:18 pm: “Expand Medicaid?” Yes. Utah is the next conservative state that will expand Medicaid. There are millions of poor people in America without health insurance. Hospitals are also struggling with the costs of uncompensated medical care. There is something else that really intrigues me about Obamacare. Barring any national law, which is impossible to pass now, the ACA provides a bridge to single payer health insurance. It’s Section 1332, in which states may begin applying for waivers to the ACA to implement their own plans. The waivers would begin in 2017, and in order to get them, states will have to meet certain criteria, such as not adding to the federal deficit and covering as many people as the ACA would cover. Vermont has already passed a single-payer law and is in the process of getting it implemented. It’s supposed to save money. Other countries save money by using price controls. The U.S. has the highest per capita healthcare expenditure. Whatever we had before Obamacare clearly was not working. I prefer single payer to Obamacare (so much simpler) and hope that Illinois seriously considers developing a single payer system. Section 1332 of the ACA may be the back-door way to get into single payer. - Carl Nyberg - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:27 pm: Back in the 90s, the argument against the graduated income tax was that it was fairer to have a flat tax b/c there are no deductions. Now Illinois has all the deductions, but no increase on the tax rates for the wealthy. Illinois should pass a law that all tax deductions, rebate and special deals are repealed until the Illinois Constitution is amended and a graduated income tax implemented. - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:30 pm: === our current regressive system === If a flat income tax is considered regressive (which it is), then so is everything else from a flat sales tax to a flat car sticker tax. - Crankshaft - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:42 pm: I love the idea of citing Budget and Tax Accountability group for anything. From their most recent proposal, I think the progressive tax will decrease taxes for 100% of taxpayers, while raising an additional $5 billion in revenue. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 1:15 pm: ===I think the progressive tax will decrease taxes for 100% of taxpayers, while raising an additional $5 billion in revenue.=== You might be able to clear up your thinking by actually reading it. - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 4:54 pm: More than pensions, more than spending, a graduated income tax is what scares the Civvie types. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.