* Press release…
On Wednesday, Republican candidate for Congress Mark Kleine voiced his support for Paul Ryan’s new tax law claiming that it will “provide a tremendous boost to our economy.”
However, just one day later, Governor Bruce Rauner trashed the tax bill, specifically calling out how it will hurt the middle-class and kill jobs across our state. In a radio interview, Rauner said the tax bill is “going to hurt a lot of middle-class families… and it’s going to push more employers out of the state. That’s going to hurt job creation and that’s going to increase the cost of living for the people of Illinois.” Rauner then added that the bill is “punishing” to Illinois.
“I agree with Governor Rauner that Paul Ryan’s tax scam is going to hurt millions of middle-class families and kill jobs,” said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. “I’m disappointed that my opponent endorsed a plan that will raise taxes on 86 million middle-class households to pay for tax breaks for the ultrawealthy. Perhaps worst of all, by adding trillions of dollars to the national debt, this tax scam is designed to put programs like Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block. I’m proud to fight for hardworking families every day because we don’t need another rubberstamp for Paul Ryan’s Washington agenda.”
- Anon - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 11:26 am:
Rauner was asleep at the wheel while this tax plan was being discussed on the national level. Thats really his MO — he just doesn’t comment on issues on a national level. He should know that his silence, on this tax plan, as well as on repeal and replace of the ACA, may make his party politics easier, but it demonstrates his utter lack of leadership. He is an empty suit, and i pray to god that he isn’t our governor a year from now.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 11:34 am:
“I’m disappointed that my opponent endorsed a plan that will raise taxes on 86 million middle-class households to pay for tax breaks for the ultrawealthy.
Perhaps Representative Bustos can explain this claim when the New York Times says :
“Republicans have pitched the bill as a middle-class tax cut and the overhaul is intended to immediately cut taxes for about 70 percent of middle-class families. But it would raise them on millions of others, since the Senate plan eliminates some tax breaks like the deduction for state and local income taxes and phases out the individual tax cuts at the end of 2025.”
How can 86 million “households” be getting a tax increase when 70% of middle class people are getting a tax cut?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/us/politics/senate-tax-bill.html?_r=0
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 11:41 am:
Was Cheri outraged and outspoken when the previous president added nearly $10 trillion to the debt?
- Anotherretiree - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 11:46 am:
Bizzaro day when I have to agree with Rauner. Horrible bill for Illinois (and the country). I just hope the Rodney Davies’s pay a price on election day for betraying their state.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 11:53 am:
He’s all mouth when the games over
- Last Bull Moose - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
Limiting the SALT deduction makes the Federal tax system more progressive. I thought progressives wanted that.
It does encourage footloose individuals to move to low or no tax states. That will hurt Illinois at least a little. But most people are slow to move.
- David - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 12:17 pm:
My guess is Rauner no longer likes the new tax law because he was denied a form of pension bankruptcy like “Promesa” which was previously granted to Puerto Rico.
- anon2 - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 12:18 pm:
I predict Peter Roskam will be hearing that Rauner quote quite a bit before the general election.
- Answer Man - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 12:21 pm:
This is about the state and local tax deduction limit of $10,000. This only affects the rich people in Illinois the rich people in Illinois should pay their fair share
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 12:23 pm:
===This is about===
Actually, it’s about the temporary nature of the tax cut for the middle class and the overwhelming percentage of benefits awarded the immensely wealthy.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 12:34 pm:
The Republicans made many mistakes by making the corporate tax cuts permanent, leaving carried interest alone and the making the individual tax cuts expire in 2026 because of the 10 year budgetary rule on deficits.
Democrats are also overplaying their hand by confusing people that this is a tax increase for most people. All of them voted against this middle class tax cut.
Pigs will fly when the Republicans vote to raise taxes on middle class people in 2026.
- California Guy - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 12:57 pm:
@Last Bull Moose
You’re technically correct, but you won’t be getting much love from Illinois residents. The polling describes how many people THINK their taxes will go up, despite the reality of them not going up. As to the temporary nature of the tax cuts on lower incomes, that’ll likely be extended before they expire. The Bush tax cuts were set to expire and Obama renewed practically all of it except the ones for the higher earners ($400,000+ adjusted gross income). The GOP plan reverses that by putting Dems in a box. They’ll be hard pressed to NOT extend tax cuts for lower/middle income people.
- Downstate Illinois - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 1:00 pm:
If Bustos doesn’t like the middle class tax hike she can introduction legislation to extend it. The bogus 86 million figure is when the tax rate changes expire in 10 years, which was only done to meet requirements of the Byrd rule in the Senate. The so-call tax hike just puts the tax rates back where they are today. The only way those tax rates are going up at the end of the 10 years is if Democrats like Bustos allow it to happen.
- CapnCrunch - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 1:04 pm:
“Actually, it’s about the temporary nature of the tax cut for the middle class ……”
Actually, Bustos was referring to a Rauner response to a question regarding the limitation on deductibility of state and local taxes. It is a bit puzzling that an Illinois Democrat would object to a policy having its major impact on the 5% of Illinois taxpayers with incomes exceeding $200,000.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 1:26 pm:
Like the Democrats, Rauner was out to lunch instead of engaged when thew tax plans were debated and passed.
Day late, dollar short, sad all around.
- Only Blocked Once By Rich Today - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 2:06 pm:
Interesting that everyone’s forgotten about how wartime tax cuts affect the debtor status of the USA. I guess we’re all partisans now - “as long as I get mine”.
- TominChicago - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 2:11 pm:
VM how can you blame the dems for not being engaged on the tax bill given the surreptitious manner in which the GOP rolled it out?
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 2:15 pm:
@VMan - When exactly was this debate that you claim Denocrats were out to lunch for?
Pretty hard for Democrats to be engaged on a bill that was written in secret by a handful of Republicans and lobbyists with no public hearings or debate and for which even the GOPers who voted yes had no clue what tax brackets they were voting for.
- Pundent - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 2:30 pm:
The tax plan is an attack on blue states and a ticking time bomb. The issues that we have today with our underfunded state pension system are a preview of what we’ll see play out at the federal system. The tax cut be it for businesses, the middle class or upper class will rob Social Security and Medicare of the revenue they need to be viable. And if there’s one thing that Lucky Pierre has taught me its that an underfunded retirement program is unsustainable. But fear not, while that pesky constitution in Illinois prevents us from altering pensions there’s nothing in the U.S. constitution that will keep us from destroying Medicare and Social Security.
- City Zen - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 2:30 pm:
==Pretty hard for Democrats to be engaged on a bill that was written in secret by a handful of Republicans and lobbyists with no public hearings or debate==
They had to pass the bill to find out what is in it.
- California Guy - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 2:53 pm:
@Only Blocked Once By Rich Today
No one cares about the debt anymore. So 90’s…
- blue dog dem - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 3:17 pm:
Wasn’t the temporary nature of the tax plan in regards to individual rates, based on the GOP only needing a majority to trick defecit numbers?
- wordslinger - Friday, Jan 5, 18 @ 4:20 pm:
–Like the Democrats, Rauner was out to lunch instead of engaged when thew tax plans were debated and passed.–
LOL, the Dems weren’t invited to the table. That was the whole point of the exercise.