25 Comments - Northsider - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 4:26 pm: Kochheads supporting a fellow plutocrat. What a surprise. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 4:29 pm: That didn’t take long. Any of the Koch boys want to explain what specific graduated tax proposal they’re talking about? - chi - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 4:33 pm: I love that generic graph showing wasteful spending soaring up past population and inflation, for whatever reason. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 4:39 pm: They sure seem to be really against something that isn’t even a proposal yet. - ZC - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 4:40 pm: The Koch Brothers are very free with their cash, but they’re still fairly lousy ad-makers. That anonymous red “wasteful spending” bar is almost comic. As often is the case, by swooping in, they also threaten to compromise Rauner’s message discipline. Does he really want to make 2014 a referenda on whether the very wealthy in Illinois should pay more? If I were Rauner I would pick up the phone and call the Kochs (they’re .01 too, they should answer his call) and say, “Thanks but no thanks, please get out of this race.” But I doubt they will. - Rod - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 4:48 pm: How does Americans For Prosperity know if Illinois adopted a graduated income tax 85% of taxpayer would receive a tax increase? The document this organization cites as the source of this claim - the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability in its report “THE CASE FOR CREATING A GRADUATED INCOME TAX IN ILLINOIS” does not say that. Here is what that report says: “If Illinois amended its constitution to allow implementation of a graduated rate structure for the individual income tax, that structure could be designed in a way that would: cut overall state income tax burden for 94 percent of all taxpayers. . .” Of course it could also be designed differently than the vision of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. But I could find no where in the cited document that it supported raising taxes on 85% of Illinois tax payers. To read the report go to http://www.ctbaonline.org/sites/default/files/reports/ctba.limeredstaging.com/node/add/repository-report/1385494205/R_2012.02_CTBA%20Graduated%20Income%20Tax%20FINAL%20Report%20Feb%202012.pdf - Hans Sanity - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 4:53 pm: The angry female claimed it raises taxes on 85% of taxpayers. Maybe media buys aren’t the only answer, but the Governor’s campaign best not let the Rauner ads go unanswered, whether with an offense or defense. - Bemused - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 5:04 pm: They want to find out early if PQ can keep up the spending pace. - RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 5:05 pm: I’m sure the Koch ad is basing the 85% increase claim in comparison to the scheduled roll-back to 3.75% rate. I believe the CTBA comparison is to the current 5% rate. Given the different starting points, both statements are true. - Hans Sanity - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 5:08 pm: Thanks for the info, Rod. Speaking of state/muni revenues, Rahm thought he could get $70 million from speed camera fines, but only collected $1.5 million on $3.7 million in fines. In the month of January 2014 alone the state of Colorado collected $2 million in taxes on recreational cannabis sales plus another $900,000 on medical cannabis — and that was WITHOUT cooperation of a banking system! - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 5:29 pm: Agreed. This is about a race, not unlike a Marathon; Qunn went out front, ran an Ad, Election Eve, so the PACs, this on “Americans for Prosperity” are going to “run” with Quinn at that pace, see if/when the DNC/PACs/Quinn fall off the pace they set. Totally agree. They are also essentially saying,… “You’re move Quinn Crew, or whoever. We are here running stride for stride. Keep up?” - DoubleDown - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 6:00 pm: The average person does not fact check the ads, They will just see this over & over & over again. Over saturation & perception is what the goal is. I think it is a ad just to give the perception how bad the situation is. They are trying to send a message even if the fact are true or not. - Schock girl - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 6:03 pm: And the cheese stands alone. Quinn vs. Rauner….oh joy…here we go. - AnonymousOne - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 6:14 pm: DoubleDown is so correct. Jump out in front, skew the facts, create outrage but get there first most importantly. This tactic certainly has worked wonders very recently in the pension issue. If you’re the first ones out of the gate, people are stupid enough to believe it because it’s the first thing they heard. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 6:41 pm: Ralph Martire ought to be firing off his cease and desist letter today. - Oneman - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 8:43 pm: Think there is a chance Quinn is going to propose replacing the increase with a progressive tax during his budget address? If so are they trying to get ahead of it. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 8:52 pm: @OneMan: It is a thought, but if it were me I would not propose a tax increase. The law requires Quinn to propose a budget based on actual revenues. Give them the Doomsday budget, make the cuts smartly. Besides, a graduated income tax requires a constitutional amendment, which could never be enacted in time to address the shortfall. Eliminating all contracts for pension services and doing it in house would save some money - wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 9:45 pm: –Think there is a chance Quinn is going to propose replacing the increase with a progressive tax during his budget address?– No. Nada. Nunca. The GA has already set the revenue estimates with the taxes expiring.. They’ll all go with that. - Just The Way It Is One - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 10:09 pm: Pretty weak Ad, in that, as ROD skillfully delinieated above, their claims cannot at all be factually backed-up, AFP’s really going nowhere with this ploy to try and rile up the Citizenry with pretty sketchy accusations when others claim such a tax–if ever even iINstituted: sheez, THEY make it seem like it’s on the Front Burner down in Springfield–would very well morph into a Tax CUT “for 94 percent of all taxpayers.” !!! - Just The Way It Is One - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 10:11 pm: Above, that was meant to be spelled, “…INstituted….” - D.P. Gumby - Wednesday, Mar 19, 14 @ 10:14 pm: Kochs and Rauner…that says it all! - nobody - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 8:03 am: Obviously designed to appeal to the uneducated….. - Adam Smith - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 8:34 am: Yes dear friends, let’s change the state constitution and just trust the fine legislators in Springfield will do something prudent, economically sound and fair. The ad has to use an example produced by one of the left-leaning groups supporting the tax change because the politicians touting it won’t be honest with the voters. Just as the snuck the 67% hike through a lame duck veto session, they want to get this constitution change and then run new tax rates with about two hours notice before anyone knows what’s happening. Oh and will the same commenters here be whining about the coming onslaught of union ads? Didn’t think so. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 8:59 am: The union needs to justify itself to voters this summer. They need to explain exactly why they provide the quality and value voters need to hear. Instead of smearing citizens who don’t recognize the importance and work of public unions, unions need to show the good hard work done in our schools, on our roads, in our institutions, and in our prisons. Voters want to like people, regardless of political party. The fact that they have been economically hurting, our bonds are crap, our governors go to prison and our Speaker has been in office since the Louisiana Purchase, is making them give up on our state government. AS WELL THEY SHOULD. Finally, our unions would not have targets on their backs right now if our elected officials gave two figs about their work. These lazy mushrooms and ducklings have failed voters, raised their taxes behind their backs, jacked with grant money to fund their best friends, and built themselves little fiefdoms for their family like royalty’s dukes and duchesses. Unions supported the status quo in hopes these fat bums would get issues resolved. Frankly, union attacks are the result of bad government. Citizens are angry and are taking it out on unions. Worse the fat mushrooms and ducklings are letting unions take the blame just so that they can continue their fat lifestyle on our dime. Remember Quinn has been no supporter of AFSCME. If he was, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to backstab the unions on contractual agreements. He wouldn’t have abused their trust with promises he knew he couldn’t, or wouldn’t keep. So, is Rauner really the union’s worse nightmare, or has Quinn somehow apologized for his attacks on our unions, fixed the damage he has personally caused unions during his term in office, and now suddenly some kind of union champion? Really Governor - you want us to again to vote you into office in an election squeaker so that you can run roughshod over unions? How much baloney and lies are unions supposed to swallow during this campaign of yours this year? Quinn is not a union supporter. His record clearly shows it. The fact that Rauner is making political hay out of attacking unions doesn’t make him any worse than what is currently governor. It just makes Rauner another recent nasty gubernatorial candidate using unions to get what he wants politically. Watch what Bruce is saying now. He is really no different from either Blagojevich or Quinn regarding unions - its just that he is more direct because he is a Republican. - Notreally - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 10:25 am: “The fact that Rauner is making political hay out of attacking unions doesn’t make him any worse than what is currently governor.” Just off the top of my head: Not really, Quinn actually gave state employees a raise this contract. The failure to pay back wages owed is due to Madigan and the legislature. Frankly the only real damage Quinn has done to public sector unions in IL is signing the pension bill. Rauner has advocated for right to work (for less), cutting state employee pay, ending pensions. He also states Scott Walker & Mitch Daniels are his models, both of those govenors ended collective bargaining for public employees in their states. “Both sides are the same” false equivelency is annoying. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.