* Press release…
State Rep. Kelly Burke (36th District), is calling for aggressive economic reforms that will improve Illinois’ business climate, invest in education and provide immediate relief to hardworking middle-class families in response to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s annual State of the State Address.
* Her agenda, which is actually the House Democrats’ official agenda these days…
* Closing loopholes and cracking down on large corporations that currently pay nothing in taxes.
* Reinstating the EDGE tax credit for businesses that create jobs.
* Passing reforms to the workers’ compensation system that require insurance companies to pass savings onto employers.
* Outlawing any future tax incentives for businesses that ship American jobs overseas.
…
* Allowing working families to keep more of their hard-earned money by increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit.
* Raising the minimum wage.
* Requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share to fund elementary and secondary education by creating a small surcharge on annual income greater than $1 million.
Not exactly the Chamber’s idea of “aggressive” reforms.
* Her closing pitch…
“Closing loopholes that unfairly advantage big corporations, reducing workers compensation costs and expanding tax credits for job creators will improve Illinois’ business climate and put more people to work,” Burke said. “These economic reforms, in conjunction with a fair and responsible budget, can help Illinois move on from the past two years of gridlock and partisanship and allow us to tackle the other serious challenges facing our state.”
The House Democrats apparently still haven’t come to terms with the fact that Illinois elected a Republican governor two years ago.
But, like I said yesterday, this could be Speaker Madigan’s way of setting down some markers.
…Adding… Like I said, they haven’t come to terms with this reality even after two years…
- Big Muddy - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
I expected better out of Rep K Burke. These are retreaded D talking points at best.
- A guy - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:10 pm:
Meh. A little more suitable for a 4:45pm release on a Friday than 3pm.
- Not It - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:10 pm:
So the best way to create jobs and lower unemployment is force employers to pay more in taxes and more in wages? Sure, that will work. Why hasn’t we thought of that before?
- Arsenal - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:12 pm:
==The House Democrats apparently still haven’t come to terms with the fact that Illinois elected a Republican governor two years ago.==
It’s not like the Turnaround Agenda was written with Dem majorities in mind, though.
- Texas Red - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:15 pm:
I appreciate folks that offer legislative solutions to our problems rather than just rhetoric. However I wonder if the IL Dems can square the idea of freezing local taxing bodies tax extensions for two years, while also pushing for a Min wag hike.Under the current PTELL law these entities can at least count on an increase equal to CPI. If Burke’s idea or the proposed “Grand bargain” pass - there will be a huge squeeze on villages, park districts, and school districts.
- Generic Drone - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:19 pm:
Don’t be coming out with plans that actually might work. It will cause confusion to our legislature.
- Gruntled University Employee - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:20 pm:
Figure out a way to use the corporate tax code to incentivize higher wages and better benefits and you might have something.
- Wow - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:20 pm:
I woke up from my Friday afternoon nap FOR THAT???
- pskila - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
ughhhh….none of this will happen until the Republicans along with the Democrats are gone out of this state…we need a three party system.
- Ahoy! - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
This is just a press release, there is nothing in Burke’s proposal that is actually going to improve Illinois business climate. Even the EDGE program isn’t that great. We would be better served with actual workers comp reform and stable finances.
Also, what is with the Illinois Democrats insistence that our high workers comp costs are an insurance issue? They got a Trumpism alternative facts thing going on there.
- MSIX - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
=Rauner says a constitutional amendment to create a surcharge on millionaires would be a “disaster” for the economy.=
Define “disaster.” Beyond the current state of the economy in IL that is.
- Deft Wing - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:22 pm:
Wow, ain’t she creative? Wait, those are the same talking points from her Boss, Madigan.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:25 pm:
This is a great way to get on, and stay on, “BossMadigan.Com”.
To the Post,
What’s critical right now for Democrats, especially House Dems, to put out a messaging that includes where they differ with Rauner and how they’d go about being different.
The issue the past two years has been the lack of engaging in any messaging to counter/push back the Raunerism and the purposeful dysfunction disguised as working “against Madigan”
If there is a pattern to the Raunerism message, the secret to beating it is the “blind spot” it continues to ignore.
It’s “Madigan” first, and the lack of engagement to Democrats without it.
Isolating “Democratic” messaging outside the “Madigan” prism…
Raunerites can’t differentiate the two. And while Raunerites like it that way, with Trump and the National GOP will focus on touting their “Trump”, it’s going to be defensive to that and Trump. Raunerites will be “worried” that while attacking, the positive “message” is Trump and Rauner? Hmm.
The point? Having the blowback of “BossMadigan.Com be Democratic policy messaging here in Illinois, and linking that upside-down Rauner numbers to Trump numbers here (if they stay upside down)… and make the case the “Bruce Rauner failed” as the fulcrum.
“Simple”
Now let’s see if the Dems can have this out there on its merits…
- CornCob - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:26 pm:
More Democrat class warfare…
- Henry Francis - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:31 pm:
What’s the argument against a Millionaire’s tax? That it would cause the millionaires in the state to flee? Including Rauner?
- Bobby G - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:33 pm:
How would the “millionaire tax” NOT violate the State Constitution’s ban on a graduated income tax?
- JS Mill - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
=More Democrat class warfare…=
What a tired. old, pathetic response. There is no “war” on the wealthy.
I am sorry if you are wealthy, I really am. You don’t deserve to be burdened with so many problems.
Maybe check out stated like Minnesota and California and see what they have done and how their economies are growing.
And, no more drive-bys
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:42 pm:
===Wow, ain’t she creative? Wait, those are the same talking points from her Boss, Madigan.===
- Deft Wing -, reading is fundamental…
From the Post…
===Her agenda, which is actually the House Democrats’ official agenda these days…===
Instead of - Deft Wing -, maybe “Captain Obvious”, lol
- ChrisB - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 3:46 pm:
Can someone explain how “Closing loopholes that unfairly advantage big corporations” and “expanding tax credits for job creators” aren’t mutually exclusive?
For example, if I take away a tax credit from a Fortune 500 company, isn’t that reducing tax credits for job creators? On the other hand, if I expand a tax credit for job creators, how will this not benefit the Fortune 500 companies in IL?
It just seems like an empty talking point.
- PublicServant - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
Rauner was elected because he wasn’t Pat Quinn. Having said that, he was elected, so you need to give him something. I think the senate grand compromise is our best bet moving forward.
- JackD - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
Rauner hasn’t accepted that he has a Democratic legislature.
The point about Workmens Comp insurers is valid. If only the insurers benefit from cuts in comp benefits, that doesn’t help employers and definitely hurts employees. But none of this is about facts, is it?
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
Can’t wait for Rep. McSweeney to get on board.
- titan - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 4:25 pm:
A constitutional amendment for a surcharge on incomes over a million (inflation adjusted over time) would get a lot of support.
Simply amending the constitution to allow a graduated income tax (and saying it will be used to impose a surcharge on the “rich”) might not be quite as popular, although even that might pass.
- Stan - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 4:30 pm:
* –Passing reforms to the workers’ compensation system that require insurance companies to pass savings onto employers.–
Illinois insurers only earned 10% on their coverage. If ALL of that was passed on we would still have one of the highest WC rates in the nation. 10% is pretty typical and not out of line compared to other states. This whole argument is merely a distraction from reality from a party that is unwilling to truly understand the problem.
- OneMan - Friday, Jan 27, 17 @ 4:31 pm:
So would term limits, as shown by the number of people who signed a petition to get it on the ballot. Don’t see any will on the behalf of Democrats to do that.
Heck they could have raised the minimum wage during lame duck when it was on the ballot and passed but they didn’t even advance a bill. It’s almost like it was a political stunt and not something they actually wanted to do.
Here is a grand compromise, let’s put both term limits and the millionaire surcharge on the ballot.