* Greg Baise op-ed in the SJ-R about the proposed graduated income tax…

If we learned anything from the last eight months, it’s that Governor Pritzker and Speaker Madigan’s alliance is impenetrable. The speaker has passed the governor’s increased spending and is promoting the Blank Check Amendment. In turn, the governor refuses to address multiple reports that some of those closest to the speaker are under federal scrutiny.

The fact is, despite this strong alliance and the speaker’s grip on the General Assembly, that doesn’t mean we have to accept higher taxes via the Blank Check Amendment.

Because at the end of the day it’s up to you, the voter, to make your voice heard in November 2020 on whether you trust the Madigan/Pritzker Partnership with more of your hard-earned tax dollars.

Be on the lookout for more from The Vote No on Blank Check Committee. How do you know if what you are reading is from the committee? Just look for our logo: If you see a Speaker Madigan silhouette hovering over a blank check, you’re in the right spot.

* The logo…

       

49 Comments - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:12 am: Utter garbage. Sorry, it’s recycled. Dear folks trying to make a point; For 10+ years and even before … y’all screamed “Madigan” Y’all did a $&@#% movie… about Madigan. Y’all set up committees, run ads, do mail… all… Madigan. Michael J Madigan has MORE seats in the HDem caucus then he EVER had… as a Speaker. How pathetic are y’all that even after a movie, ads, mail, speeches… Madigan embarrasses you again… by being at his most powerful… after defeating Raunerism. You’ve learned nothing. Zero. This is grifting type behavior, it won’t flip seats, as I see now the most powerful (seats) Madigan standing, and the weakest GOP in Illinois in… I dunno when. Mr. Baise is better than this. Narrator: Mr. Baise *was* better than this at one point. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:12 am: The fair tax will reduce money going to “Madigan and Pritzker” for 97% of taxpayers. - @misterjayem - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:13 am: “If you see a Speaker Madigan silhouette hovering over a blank check, you’re in the right spot.” And THIS TIME the Madigan bogeyman is gonna deliver, dadgummit – MrJM - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:14 am: *The fair tax will reduce money Or there will be no change, per the fair tax ads (sorry). - Former State Worker - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:16 am: Vote Yes! for an increase in the flat tax (apparently). - SpfdNewb - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:18 am: I’m estimated to save $50 with the fair tax, so the savings are minuscule for me (if the estimate is accurate). But if it taxes those at the top who can afford to pay higher taxes, I will vote yes. - Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:21 am: Baise, never failing to stay on message even when that message has gotten his side’s rear ends kicked over and over and over. - Peter Coffey - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:21 am: At least somebody is standing up for Illinois’ downtrodden millionaires. - Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:30 am: Some intrepid reporter, perhaps a Mark Maxwell-type, should ask Baise why he’s so focused on this rather than on his buddy Tillman’s attempts to ruin Illinois finances in order to benefit an out-of-state financier. Maybe Baise has thoughts on that? Won’t know unless someone asks him - Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:32 am: How would Madigan write a blank check with a broken pen? What exactly is the pen supposed to represent? That part is confusing to me. - Flat Bed Ford - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:33 am: OW is wrong as usual. People here in the collar counties are fed up with corruption and throwing $$ at Springfield. Tying the two together is easy and resonates with average voter. This partnered with a slowdown in the economy by Nov of 2020 and passage of a graduated tax gets even harder. Not impossible, but really hard. - A Jack - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:40 am: So now we have a Blank Check Amendment, a Job’s Tax, and a Progressive Tax amendment. The ballot is getting crowded. - Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:42 am: Maybe it’s just the dark hair but that looks more like Ronald Reagan than Mike Madigan to me - Norseman - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:43 am: Should be “More Blank Ideas From Politicians for the Rich” - Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:43 am: If they’re already using red in the logo, they should have made Madigan’s hair red instead of black - {Sigh} - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:46 am: Can Jim Edgar give Baise a pep talk and let him know that the Madigan message hasn’t worked? {Sigh} Can someone pass a bill to take the unauthorized use of the name Madigan or the use of his image? I’m thinking this new tax could possibly solve the pension crisis. - Bourbon Street - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 10:47 am: Am I the only one who thinks that Madigan is drawn to look like Patrick McGoohan in “The Prisoner”? Looks like he’s wearing a turtleneck and a jacket with piping. I wonder how many voters are going to look for the “Blank Check Amendment” on the ballot in 2020. - Nick Name - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:02 am: ===People here in the collar counties are fed up with corruption and throwing $$ at Springfield.=== Pritzker won every collar county except McHenry last fall. Try again. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:03 am: ===People here in the collar counties are fed up with corruption and throwing $$ at Springfield. Tying the two together is easy and resonates with average voter.=== 74-40-every single statewide office. Voters spoke. Pay attention, please…lol - Nagidam - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:06 am: There is this famous quote about insanity we all know. Doing the same thing over and over. The Madigan schtick has not worked. If you think the rates may change in the future then get some middle class folks to talk about their fears of trusting government to keep their promise. - Nick Name - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:10 am: ===Blank Check Amendment.=== The eeeeevil Madigan-Pritzker-Cullerton cabal can raise the flat tax rate any time they want, right now. Most people already get this. - walker - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:11 am: The core message “blank check” is broken apart and overwhelmed by other graphics. Not a good logo design for this effort. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:17 am: Utter garbage? JB’s Grand spending plans are more than double the 3.4 billion dollar in revenue raised by the tax hike on the “rich” And he has no plans to solve the pension crisis Kicking the fan will only make it worse - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:22 am: ===JB’s Grand spending plans are more than double the 3.4 billion dollar in revenue raised by the tax hike on the “rich” And he has no plans to solve the pension crisis=== Narrator: Bruce Rauner has no budget for an entire GA, and - Lucky Pierre - was fine with no fiscal plan. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:28 am: ===JB’s Grand spending plans are more than double the 3.4 billion dollar in revenue raised by the tax hike on the “rich” And he has no plans to solve the pension crisis=== With a bipartisan budget passed, an infrastructure bill passed including the tax to pay for it, the current governor will use these next years to square up revenue and spending, while fixing the purposeful damage Bruce and Diana Rauner put on Illinois. As to pensions? No one has missed a pension check. Bonding buyers know that Illinois pays on the bonds first, per the constitution, so a concern is that, a concern, but there will be time to figure out what pension plan will work, and will pass the GA - Honeybear - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 11:36 am: I’m not sure how many of you actually knock on doors and canvass for Get Out the Vote, But I think this is going to be a hard one to overcome. I can already hear “I’m not giving Madigan a blank check” Holy loving Jesus a slogan like this can be devastating. Please please please come up with a counter to this Pritzker people It’s hard enough to do a good ground game. It’s next to impossible if you get clobbered with this at half the houses in Collinsville. - City Zen - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 12:49 pm: ==The fair tax will reduce money going to “Madigan and Pritzker” for 97% of taxpayers. Or there will be no change, per the fair tax ads (sorry).== So we’d be sending the same amount of money to Madigan then? Not sure that’s a winning message. - Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 2:48 pm: Mike Madigan is as powerful today as he has ever been…thanks to Republicans. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 2:59 pm: “Mike Madigan is as powerful today as he has ever been…thanks to Republicans.” Madigan gaining power while Rauner got annihilated was one of the greatest accomplishments and so sweet. Republicans can’t figure out that attacking Madigan is nowhere near enough to win. But they keep making the same mistakes. They like the delusion of doing damage to Madigan more than putting together a popular agenda. - Annonin' - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 3:00 pm: Baiser might have hit the high point when walkin’ Big Jim’s dog in the first - Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 3:03 pm: Am I the only one who thinks that Madigan is drawn to look like Patrick McGoohan in “The Prisoner”? I’m glad I’m not the only person here who uses antiquated references…but…Yeah, I thought the same thing. - Enviro - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 3:16 pm: The blank check logo should have a do over if Baise wants to win over voters. But most Illinois voters understand that the progressive tax will require that the very rich pay more taxes, not the middle class. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 3:36 pm: Any plans to educate younger voters on what checks are & what it means to have a blank one? - Italianguy626 - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 4:26 pm: ==But most Illinois voters understand that the progressive tax will require that the very rich pay more taxes, not the middle class.== At first it will be the rich. What has me concerned is when they don’t collect the revenue they thought they would and they start playing with who is high income. First is anyone who makes over $5 million. Then it will be $1 million, then $500,000, then $250,000, and so on and so on. Then start playing with the incomes that fall in the lower rates. You just need to look at the states around us with graduated rates, as Pritzker has often said when selling this. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 4:43 pm: - Italianguy626 - LOL… ===What has me concerned is when they don’t collect the revenue they thought they would and they start playing with who is high income. First is anyone who makes over $5 million. Then it will be $1 million, then $500,000, then $250,000, and so on and so on. Then start playing with the incomes that fall in the lower rates. You just need to look at the states around us with graduated rates, as Pritzker has often said when selling this.=== “Asked and answered” The earliest this new tax can be collecting is 2021. Year to review, 2022. Nothing will change, 2022 is an election year. There won’t be a stomach to move rates so quickly, and during and election year. So, 2023? Four years from now? You’re worried about a “maybe”… four years… from now. Your concerned trolling is noted. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 4:49 pm: Further? ===So, 2023?=== … taking those new brackets into 2024… 4-5 years… from now. - Taxedoutwest - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 4:57 pm: Quinn raised taxes in the middle of the night to pay down the $6B in unpaid bills, so it could sunset 4 years later. The dems didn’t pay any of that down because they never thought they would lose the mansion…they did, and when Rauner (and his ego) took over the (dilapidated) mansion Quinn never slept in, the unpaid bills were still at….you guessed it, $6B (plus a budget $1.5B in the hole that was plugged by the next administration by shaking the couch for quarters from everywhere). THAT is what is called a blank check, and I don’t see any reason why the past won’t repeat itself. As far as the pension goes, once again a few people on this thread are convinced it will fix itself as no one has missed a check yet…just ask a miner’s widow what that used to be like, and just wait to see what happens when the Central States Teamster funds goes belly up in 5 to 6 years. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 5:03 pm: - Taxedoutwest - ===The dems didn’t pay any of that down because they never thought they would lose the mansion=== Cite please. Thanks. (Hint: I’m sure i could find where Rich has this… maybe not the way you think it was) ===Central States Teamster funds=== If you know what will happen in 5-6 years, why on earth are you wasting time here, lol Quinn also made all the pension payments. Rauner asked and thanked when the income tax sunsetted. I’ll wait for your cites. - Paul - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 6:02 pm: - taxedoutwest- is wrong. Go read Judy Basr Topinka’s archived newsletters. The debt was about $7B and JBT’s last newsletter before she died it was paid down to just over $4B. Amazing how people just spew garbage as facts. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 6:12 pm: - Paul - It’s folks like - taxedoutwest - that need the cites. It’s known. The fact - taxedoutwest - is *trying* to comment with phony is more telling than the phony things said. - Cadillac - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 7:10 pm: === - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 4:49 pm: Further? ===So, 2023?=== … taking those new brackets into 2024… 4-5 years… from now. === You are being very flippant about a Constitutional Amendment. Changes in the Constitution should be viewed in a long term perspective, right? It’s not like laws that can be changed in a lame duck session. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 7:25 pm: ===Changes in the Constitution should be viewed in a long term perspective, right?=== … which I did, and seeing no changes “politically” possible for 5 years… that’s if it even passes. It’s not flippant to mock realities of those thinking a “slippery slope” is “around the corner” ===It’s not like laws that can be changed in a lame duck session.=== You gonna find 60/30 and a governor willing to sign *before* 2023? I can’t see one. Nope. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 8:11 pm: ===It’s not like laws that can be changed in a lame duck session.=== If you’re against the progressive income tax, make sure you vote against it, but this idea that it’ll be easier to raise taxes with this new taxing way is ridiculous due in part to the politics are still the same. - Anono - Wednesday, Aug 14, 19 @ 9:46 pm: Why do millionaires and Republicans hate tax cuts for the middle class? - Tim - Thursday, Aug 15, 19 @ 7:21 am: Even though this would have a minimal positive impact on our family, we will be voting no. The fact if the matter is that politicians in Springfield of both parties can’t be trusted to spend the money they already receive correctly, and we din’t See the need to give them more. If they tied this in with spending reductions and pension reform, we’d more seriously consider it but they won’t so we won’t. The money this would raise would be minimally helpful to actually solving the problems that exist but are not combined with other action to truly make a difference and solve the actual problems of unchecked spending. Combine that with a complete lack of trust with our politicians and it is really easy to vote no. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 15, 19 @ 7:36 am: ===The fact if the matter is that politicians in Springfield of both parties can’t be trusted to spend the money they already receive correctly…=== Hmm… ===The folks at the Illinois Policy Institute have combed the state budget and have found “$54.2 million in wasteful spending.” They define “waste” as “spending that does not serve a legitimate purpose of government.” Why is that encouraging news? Because the state budget is $38.5 billion. So, according to the Institute, waste accounts for just 0.14 percent of state spending.=== https://capitolfax.com/2018/10/10/illinois-policy-institute-hardly-any-waste-in-illinois-government/ So, there’s that… fact ===If they tied this in with spending reductions and pension reform, we’d more seriously consider it but they won’t so we won’t.=== With 0.14% in waste, fraud and abuse, what would you consider pension reform, that is constitutional? ===The money this would raise would be minimally helpful to actually solving the problems that exist but are not combined with other action to truly make a difference and solve the actual problems of unchecked spending.=== That’s… 0.14% in unchecked spending…. by IPI ===Combine that with a complete lack of trust with our politicians and it is really easy to vote no.=== So, you just don’t like politicians, and need to “justify” it in your mind, even without actual facts. Got it. Thanks. - Fixer - Thursday, Aug 15, 19 @ 8:01 am: Let’s be clear about something: the tax rate will either be increasing on everyone or with the CA passed, on just the highest earners in the state. Folks like Baise have no interest in middle class folks and are solely focusing on their investors. If the CA fails, it follows that when the flat rate increases they will rail against those currently in office for raising taxes on the middle class. The campaign adds for 2022 will right themselves. - Fixer - Thursday, Aug 15, 19 @ 8:02 am: Write, not right. Sorry folks. - An American - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 1:18 pm: How do we send this group money? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.