* The Illinois Policy Institute continues to focus on Senate Republicans in order to kill off the chamber’s “grand bargain.” Here’s its latest…
Americans for Tax Reform, a taxpayer advocacy group, maintains an active pledge for lawmakers across the country to sign. The pledge states that the signer will agree to not vote for or support any new taxes or tax hikes. The pledge has proved popular among candidates and officeholders across federal, state and local levels of government with signatures from over 1,400 elected officials.
The following Illinois state senators have also signed the pledge:
Tim Bivins, R-Dixon
Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon
Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove
Dave Syverson, R-Rockford
Bill Brady, R-Bloomington
Sue Rezin, R-Morris
The state senators who signed this pledge should remember they were not making a promise to Americans for Tax Reform, but rather to Illinois taxpayers. Illinois already has one of the largest combined tax burdens in the country, and the last thing middle-and working-class Illinoisans need at this point is yet another tax hike.
Meh.
It was a campaign pledge, and campaign pledges should be broken when the very future of the state is at issue.
And, really, the only pledge that matters now is the pledge that all lawmakers make when they’re sworn in: To uphold the state Constitution. And that Constitution requires a balanced budget.
So, unless these geniuses can come up with a plan to close a $6 billion budget hole without raising any taxes whatsoever, that pledge to Grover Norquist means nothing.
* Meanwhile, here’s its latest Facebook ad, which appears to be targeting Leader Radogno’s own district…
* And this is from its “news service”…
Parts of a potential budget agreement in Springfield include a number of pro-business incentives, but business advocates say they’re no consolation for massive tax hikes.
A series of bills waiting to be voted on in the Illinois Senate are being promoted by leadership as the grand compromise that will break Illinois’ two-year long budget stalemate between Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. The proposed plan rakes in billions by raising the state’s income tax to almost five percent along with other taxes. They also included a two-year property tax freeze and minor reforms to pensions and workers compensation laws in an effort to court business support.
But Technology and Manufacturers Association of Illinois President and former state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger says token reforms are no justification for a massive tax increase. “An increase in revenue is not a good deal for minor changes to the workers’ compensation program,” he said.
*** UPDATE *** Hilarious…
This is exactly why I consider that group to be more of a propaganda outlet than a “think tank.”
- Texas Red - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:33 am:
===”So, unless these geniuses can come up with a plan to close a $6 billion budget hole….. that pledge to Grover Norquist means nothing.”
Of course the tax increase should be opposed - political solutions come in steps - First you have to kill the monster (MJM and the current focus on spending and “protecting middle class workers”) then you rebuild the village.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:35 am:
IPI and the McSweeney’s of the world are so irresponsible. Just do the freakin math people and then grow a pair. You can’t fix this problem without revenue.
- Michael Westen - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:41 am:
Doesn’t Rauner mostly fund this group? Are they going to blast Rauner too when he ultimately signs off on the grand bargain?
- Norseman - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:42 am:
The propaganda tank doesn’t have to govern. So it can sit back and watch as debt rises, services end, and people suffer.
Radogno is trying to govern. That’s what she and other legislators were elected to do. She needs to be complimented for the effort.
- Anon221 - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:44 am:
But Rauner is stayin’ out of it. /S
- Trolling Troll - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:45 am:
Hey Rich, IPI just tweeted that you’re trying to sink the grand bargain. Ha!!
- Not Rich - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:47 am:
My head hurts
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:49 am:
Dear Leader Radogno,
I’m with you. You are doing responsible work that leaders do when faced with facts and reality and the sense to understand what’s important versus what’s rhetorically dangerous
The IPI is Rauner.
Now, how can I say that. Rauner has Tillman sit in on vetting of new members of the GA. Rauner has made his messaging be part and parcel of IPI and their embarrassingly dishonest INN, a radio “news” source that has its own Rauner Word Jumble… on-site.
For me to believe IPI isn’t doing what Rauner requires, I must believe that Rauner and Tillman are now not interconnected and the IPI is flying face-first against Rauner’s Senate Leader, fearing no ramifications?
Leader Radogno, I have been consistent; 60/30, structured roll calls, revenue, cuts, and a clean signature.
Your work with President Cullerton is in that framing, so I can’t be behind your hard work more.
It’s IPI that refuses to see reality, and this proves that yet again.
Keep plugging, and I’m in your corner.
Oswego Willy
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:51 am:
>>First you have to kill the monster (MJM and the current focus on spending and “protecting middle class workers”) then you rebuild the village.
- Arsenal - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:51 am:
==It was a campaign pledge, and campaign pledges should be broken when the very future of the state is at issue.==
I absolutely agree, but that doesn’t mean they *will* break it. Norquist’s pledge has, over the years, proven to be very potent.
- zatoichi - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:52 am:
Does IPI have a calculator in the office? Instead of statements of pols ’selling out’ about a tax increase, they can give a complete list of specific cuts down to the dollar that will remove that $6B hole. Our local Repub state rep has repeatedly said in various local meetings that the math demands 5.5%+ unless serious major cuts are agreed to. So IPI, what goes away and what happens to the people who used the services those cuts removed?
- WSJ Paywall - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:52 am:
I am living for this DRAMA (not really, since the IPI is trying to crater compromise, but you get the idea).
- Unsolicited Advice - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:55 am:
I hope I have some tin foil hat on with this, but I can’t help thinking the “institute’s” stance is Rauner’s non-public stance. Thay have mostly been on the same page so far and he gives them lots of money. He could use them to kill compromise and come out looking good for the public.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 10:59 am:
===IPI just tweeted===
Thanks. I responded. #alternativefacts
Heh.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:00 am:
IPI is like Breitbart, nothing but propaganda.
- Arsenal - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:01 am:
==I hope I have some tin foil hat on with this, but I can’t help thinking the “institute’s” stance is Rauner’s non-public stance.==
I hope you’re wrong, too, but every impression I’ve gotten over the last two years is that, at the very least, If Rauner didn’t want them to do this, he could say so and they’d stop.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:04 am:
To the Update and the Tweet…
The question remains; is the IPI trying to submarine any agreement… as the silent hand Rauner himself is using?
They’re not a think tank, they’re in the tank for whatever Rauner wants them to be.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:09 am:
So is Rodgno about to have “f”ing problem”?
- Anon221 - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:11 am:
After this weekend of “alternative facts”, it’s time for the media in Illinois to ask Rauner at every opportunity, “Are you donating to organizations, such as IPI, in order to attack Republicans such as Leader Radogno and torpedo the Senate’s current work on a possible ‘Grand Bargain’?”
- Pawn - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:15 am:
poor Radogno! She is trying to do the right thing, and the devil she sold her caucus to is stabbing her in the back.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:19 am:
GOP Senators are taking quite a beating from IPI on this. They’ve taken quite a lot of heat for Gov. Rauner the last two years.
Is Rauner going to call off the dogs to move the process forward, or is he using IPI to do his dirty work to kill any progress while maintaining his usual Sgt. Schultz position?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:20 am:
If both Republican GA caucuses were autonomous, the blowback from IPI would be understandable coming from Rauner’s media arm.
When autonomy was traded for monies, confusion like this, is only confusing to those not realizing they aren’t autonomous.
That’s why I’m with Leader Radogno.
She wants to be the leader to gain back some independence that makes “IPI”… “uncomfortable”… good. You can’t turn your back to those that agree with you when agreeing with you puts them in harms way.
I won’t turn my back, Leader Radogno.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:22 am:
The IPI ‘Stink Tank’ faithfully regurgitates the desires of the one who pays
- Joe M - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:26 am:
I noticed a IPI tweet over in the Capitol Fax News Feed Section that reads:
“Illinois Policy @illinoispolicy
According to Capitol “Fax” Illinois Senators should vote against the “grand bargain” because it’s out of balance by billions #twill
10:38 AM - 23 Jan 2017″
Then when one goes to the full tweet it quotes Rich saying just the opposite. I don’t trust IPI to get anything accurate.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:29 am:
== The state senators who signed this pledge should remember they were not making a promise to Americans for Tax Reform, but rather to Illinois taxpayers. ==
Nobody REALLY expects a politician to keep every campaign promise.
- TAxing Times - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:41 am:
Radogno will simply go the way of Mark Kirk if she votes to raise taxes. After all if there is going to be a Democrat acting person representing her district it might as well be a real Democrat just to keep things honest.
- Montrose - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:42 am:
I can’t disagree with putting “fax” in quotes. I haven’t gotten the newsletter via a fax machine in years.
- Whatever - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:43 am:
==According to Capitol “Fax” Illinois Senators should vote against the “grand bargain” because it’s out of balance by billions==
Gotta keep a closer eye on those interns.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:46 am:
===Radogno will simply go the way of Mark Kirk if she votes to raise taxes. After all if there is going to be a Democrat acting person representing her district it might as well be a real Democrat just to keep things honest.===
Radogno’s district isn’t very friendly to a Democrat running against her.
Further, Radogno won’t lose in a GOP Primary either
I hope you felt good hitting “say it”, I hope your frustration is made better. Your comment refuses to see reality, so thanks for the chuckle.
- Henry Francis - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:49 am:
Gotta love the quotes around “Fax”, instead of “Capitol Fax”. Sign of top notch “journalism” and “think tankery”.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:59 am:
So I guess when you mostly tell the truth it is now alternate fax …
- Still a Sox fan - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
IPI is a window into the “real” Rauner agenda. How does Rauner win in 2018 if the Illinois’ tax rate goes up? Your average voter does not think they are affected by state government shortfalls. Not raising taxes and decimating state programs is a “win-win” for Rauner.
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, but Rauner sharing in the pain of a tax increase is a non-starter. There will be no budget or state tax increase until the Dems take full control again — and, of course, full blame for fixing our broken state — in 2018.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
I’m for giving Senate President Cullerton and Minority Leader Radogno strong credit for making an effort to end this perpetual stalemate.
I’m not completely happy with all of their proposals that are now public, but 100% happiness is an unreachable goal in this or any other environment.
Their leadership thus far is something to be admired. Count me an admirer right now.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
Well, if IPI is actually ‘policy’; where the bleep is THEIR plan to solve IL’s financial catastrophe? Where can I read it? Where do they have it posted? Or is it just more whining?
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 12:35 pm:
Sorry my comment got cut off at 10:51 a.m. I meant to say in response to another comment that the “monster” ain’t going anywhere for a while. He just got reelected Speaker.
That means Illinois won’t be remade in the IPI’s/Rauner’s image in the foreseeable future. But it’s easy for certain multimillionaires and billionaires to be that stubborn. They’re not the ones who’ve lost social services and had to suffer higher ed cuts.
- molly maguire - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 12:40 pm:
Breitbart without the xenophobia (yet)
- Anon - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 12:48 pm:
If the Senate grand compromise ever gets to the House, there are a number of Representatives who also signed the Norquist no-tax-hike-ever pledge. Those who violate their pledge can expect to see it come up in the next election.
- A guy - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 1:15 pm:
==- Honeybear - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 11:09 am:
So is Rodgno about to have “f”ing problem”?===
Not sure if she is, but someone is. Especially if this results in a “f”ing solution that the voting public favors. And the main media sources.
All this hullabaloo must mean something is getting closer to reality.
- Arsenal - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 1:44 pm:
==Nobody REALLY expects a politician to keep every campaign promise.==
Yeah, but they all expect the politician to break the promises he/she made to someone else.
- Chicago 20 - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 2:30 pm:
- “This is exactly why I consider that group to be more of a propaganda outlet than a “think tank.””
Then why acknowledge or reference the IPI?
You and the others who acknowledge the IPI are giving them credibility.
In the future they only should be reference as “IPI -the Rauner funded propaganda machine”.
- ILGOV2018 - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 2:46 pm:
I think any Senator or Representative who signs the pledge should not be able to have any state services in their districts.
How do they think services the state provides them is paid for?
- Albany Park Patriot - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 3:43 pm:
When you have Bruce Rauner’s checkbook behind you, you get a little frisky I suppose. I’m sure it’s just some kid from the suburbs with rich parents who hasn’t gone to law school yet.
- Seats - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 7:45 pm:
Tim Bivins has responded:
“I like the line fake reforms only matched by fake headlines.
Here’s the scoop; Illinois Policy hasn’t even talked to me. I have never in close to 9 years voted for a tax increase. I have consistently said if I thought a tax increase would fix the problem then yes I would. But the last tax increase didn’t and spending wasn’t curbed. There has to be fundamental budget reforms like don’t spend more than revenues (which is what the constitution calls for). Additionally there are many programs that don’t work and need to be cut.
I wrote and administered a budget for 20 years and was never over budget this isn’t rocket science. My district office has a small budget and we have been under budget 24%-34% every year.
To answer another post; no legislators haven’t gotten a pay raise in 9 yrs and haven’t been paid in 8 months, no complaint just fact.
I was asked 10 yrs ago when I announced I would run for the senate “what are the three biggest issues facing the state” I said ” the budget the budget and the budget, if it isn’t corrected soon we are headed for a day of disaster”. Sometimes you hate to be right. You can’t overspend by billions every year without consequences.”
- swIFT taylor - Monday, Jan 23, 17 @ 9:47 pm:
If you don’t smell bad blood between Radogno and Rauner you’re not inhaling deep enough.