* From Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee)…
“I want to thank the people of the 66th District for again entrusting me to represent you in Springfield,” said Skillicorn. “Illinois government is broken, but when we the people work together we can affect change. Our recent success to defeat a massive motor fuel tax hike in the waning moments of the 100th General Assembly that appeared to be a sure thing just a month again is proof of that.”
A sure thing? I told subscribers this on November 15th: “Tentative plans are afoot to move forward with some sort of tax increase to fund a capital bill by the end of the lame duck session on January 9th.” And then on November 27th I told subscribers that from everything I was hearing the plans to do a capital bill in lame duck had been scrapped.
The “horizontal” (roads, bridges, transit) infrastructure project list would’ve likely been ready to go by this week, but the “vertical” (building construction and repair) list would not have been. That lack of a list, I was told in late November, was a big reason for the delay. They couldn’t do the tax hikes for both at once because it’s tough to pass a tax increase for vertical projects when nobody knows what the projects are. They also didn’t want to do one tax hike for horizontal and then another just weeks later for vertical. Too many headlines.
Also, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin said this earlier in the week…
“I don’t see anything else coming,” Durkin said. “I’m seeing some posters here about a gas tax. There’s nothing about an infrastructure bill or anything regarding a gas tax or anything that’s going to be considered this week.”
Make no mistake, however: A capital bill is coming, along with revenue streams to pay for it.
*** UPDATE *** It’s not just Skillicorn. Check out this over-heated Taxpayers United press release…
Illinois taxpayers defeated the plan of downstate and Cook County Democrats to give the state of Illinois the highest gasoline tax in the country during the Illinois 100th General Assembly lame duck session.
The Democrat mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel, showing how out-of-touch he was with taxpayers, had called for a 30 cent-per-gallon increase on the state gasoline tax. In response, taxpayers protested inside the Illinois Capitol Building against this two billion dollar tax hike. The January 7 protest featured many prominent anti-gasoline-tax speakers, including St. Rep. Allen Skillicorn, St. Rep. Jeanne Ives, and Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America.
When the protesters went to confront their state representatives over this proposed gasoline tax increase, the tax raisers gaveled out and fled to caucus. They refused to leave their rooms until protesters and their signs were thrown out!
“It must have been two minutes,” commented Val, a concerned taxpayer who was waiting in line to speak to his state representative about the gas tax. “They were in session for two minutes and ran. It’s like they didn’t want to talk to us.”
Illinois lawmakers were so shaken by the outpouring of opposition they did not amend any bills to include a tax increase.
“I bet those tax-raising cowards have never seen so many taxpayers gathered together in one place before,” said Tobin. “It’s too bad we taxpayers need to work for a living. Otherwise we could protest and stop every tax increase in its tracks.”
When asked about the possibility of the new general assembly passing a gas tax increase, Tobin responded, “I think they will try to pass it again. But now Springfield Democrats and the newly elected Governor Pritzker will have to take responsibility for any tax increase. They own it now. They wanted to pass it in the 100th so they could blame Gov. Rauner, and not look like hypocrites when they throw poor and middle class taxpayers under the bus.”
Hilarious.
Some background on Mr. Tobin is here.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 2:25 pm:
I don’t blame Rep. Skillicorn.
It’s not like he knows, and is telling tales.
Maybe no one is telling him anything or including him? Maybe he’s spending all day waiting for that Red Dawn invasion that will go after FOID card records? I dunno, but maybe Rep. Skillicorn doesn’t know either.
It’s possible.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 2:31 pm:
A noisy squeaker attempting to appear relevant.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 2:53 pm:
Are windmills next on his quest?
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 3:08 pm:
I wish the phrase Illinois is broken would be banned. Unless the next words were I have reached across the aisle to cosponser. X to solve this statewide problem
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 3:11 pm:
Ok DuPage, how about Illinois is in decline? with a very high tax burden and shrinking population?
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 3:21 pm:
Skillicorn never learned that there is a price to be paid for perfidy.
Trust
- SOIL M - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 4:05 pm:
They make it hard for people who don’t want to see fuel tax increased to admit they agree with them much less actually support them.
Also, how many thousands attended their rally? Or hundreds…or even a full dozen? Were there enough to make legislators run and hide like they claim? It sure doesn’t look that way from pictures I have seen.
- GrammarGuru - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 4:48 pm:
To “…affect change…” would be to pretend to change (as in “she affected a British accent”).
- Mama - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 5:32 pm:
To all of the legislators in IL: Please work on solving the problems in IL instead of playing the political blame game. One does not have the right to complain unless that person has offered a good solution to the problems facing Illinois.
- Hostess Will Seat You - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 5:45 pm:
Mr. Tobin saying “seeing so many taxpayer in one place is just a bold face lie.I was there and counted about 10 protestors total.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 6:25 pm:
Orange is the new cray.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 6:30 pm:
I walked thru the rotunda during that “rally”, and it’s barely an exaggeration to say the total number of “protestors” would have fit comfortably in two vans. Which later likely took them off to Scheels to go shopping for more mossy oak hats. Skillicorn should be embarrassed by the weak turnout as well as the weak messaging.
As one of their leaders summed up and exhorted them to go out and confront legislators, they asked aloud where the House and Senate chambers were…. I got the impression this was not a very strategic-thinking group of people.
- Smitty Irving - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 6:45 pm:
Oswego Willy -
IF Skillicorn is thinking Red Dawn and FOID Cards, shows he’s behind the times. A current day Red Dawn would involve hacking of NRA membership and mailing list records.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 6:59 pm:
I’m so happy that Skillicorn and Tobin found each other.
I wish them many happy days staring into each others belly-buttons, and all the wonders they hold.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 7:11 pm:
Skillicorn is the crown prince of make believe land. Telling a tale of brave battle that didn’t happen.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 7:57 pm:
===A current day Red Dawn would involve hacking of NRA membership and mailing list records.===
That might be too sophisticated of a conspiracy?
Skillicorn sticks with the classic movies.
:)
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 11:17 pm:
arent Tobins 15 years more than over?
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Jan 9, 19 @ 11:59 pm:
What is their plan for a capital bill? How are they going to fix our roads, bridges, railways, schools, universities, prisons, etc. etc.?
Through imaginary waste, fraud, and corruption? Is that really going to generate billions of dollars?
- Truthseeker - Thursday, Jan 10, 19 @ 9:00 am:
Squirrelcorn lives in an imaginary universe. Somebody please poke some holes in his jar so he can breath.
The one man caucus that is Squirrelcorn gets crushed in the next election with Trump on the ballot. He is a wing nut in an increasingly moderate district.
- wally the wise - Thursday, Jan 10, 19 @ 9:44 am:
Those who want to contribute extra money to the state should do so of their own volition but leave those of us who don’t alone.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 10, 19 @ 10:01 am:
If this is the opposition to the gas tax, get ready to see a massive increase.
Thhere has got to be room to maneuver on this issue; a relief of sales tax in exchange for more gas tax, maybe a smaller per gallon amount.
Unlike the loons at this “rally” .. Reasonable people can compromise to protect our tires AND our pocket book.