37 Comments - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 2:37 pm: Good way to makes friends and help influence a governor… She’s her worst enemy right now. - Charlie Brown - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 2:39 pm: She told S-T she does not want to tax the wealthy. She told town hall meeting in Jefferson Park she does not want to tax the middle class. She’s said numerous times she wants to roll back fines, fees, tickets that primarily target the poor. Who does that leave, Fred Klonsky? The union pensions. - Steve - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 2:48 pm: The good news for Mayor Lightfoot is she’ll be commenting on many other issues in the near future that will take the attention off this quote. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 2:52 pm: Since Lightfoot is also on record as a fair tax supporter, she can do ads in support of a graduated income tax, which could also play repeatedly. Democrats and the left should not live in right wing narratives. The right wing’s gonna right wing and spout the lies about the rich being crushed by taxes and leaving Illinois. In the successful fight against Rauner and his allies, activists did not let Raunerite talking points dominate. There is great information and facts to support a graduated income tax. Pound those home. - Moe Berg - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 2:57 pm: No gold glove in this rookie’s debut season. Pretty much everyone in the major leagues spent some time in the minors. Ya learn things there that help ya compete in the bigs. - Nick Name - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:02 pm: I cannot believe she said that. Holy [banned word]. - Thomas Paine - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:03 pm: @Grandson of a Man - And for putting out the fire that she started herself, Lightfoot is going to try to squeeze a bailout out of Springfield. Pass. Hard pass. If you pay off the arsonists, they just start more fires. - Pick a Name - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:05 pm: When was the last time a Republican was elected mayor in Chicago? The 1920’s? What is the pension obligation in the city, close to $30 billion? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:07 pm: ===- Charlie Brown - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 2:39 pm She told S-T she does not want to tax the wealthy. She told town hall meeting in Jefferson Park she does not want to tax the middle class. She’s said numerous times she wants to roll back fines, fees, tickets that primarily target the poor. Who does that leave…=== If the Lightfoot Crew can’t see how much all this talking is hurting, maybe it explains why ya can’t everyone on board, and more obvious, why you can’t hide ya have no plan to talk to anyone about. Good stuff. You’re a good man - Charlie Brown - - DuPage Bard - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:08 pm: Literally gave the GOP the ammunition they needed to hit the Fair Tax for the next 14 months. The Progressive Mayor of the 3rd largest city in the US thinks that taxing the wealthy, even more, won’t work. Granted this isn’t the first time and probably won’t be the last time she comments too quickly on a major issue before thinking what her words might mean and the impact they’ll have. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:10 pm: ===When was the last time a Republican=== … lemme guess, you’re next gonna complain about the Edgar Ramp. Think on that, just for a second. Read Dave McKinney, Rich Miller, Daniel Vock. These pension problems in Illinois, in all shapes, are a governing/policy thingy. If anything, Richard M Daley, fiscally, seemed more GOP leaning than others labeled as Republicans - AnonymousOne - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:11 pm: Since we can’t tax those with great wealth, should we try to cash in on increased taxes on the unemployed or homeless? Even bank robbers know that you have to go to where the money is if you want some. - Techie - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:23 pm: Oof. Where does she think the necessary revenue will come from? There’s essentially 2 ways to deal with budget deficits: lower spending or raise revenue. Pretty sure there’s not much room to lower spending without hurting people who rely on the services the spending helps, which is predominately the poor and middle class. Which means you’re left with raising revenue. The poor and middle class are already feeling the squeeze as it is, so don’t tread there. Which leaves you with wealthy individuals, or wealthy organizations (corporations). So the mayor’s statement doesn’t make much sense if her priority is to continue helping those who need it most. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:25 pm: If Chicago voters wanted a Mayor who would rubber stamp the Union agenda they would have voted for Toni Preckwinkle. Instead 72% voted for Lori Lightfoot, who does not believe just “taxing the hell out of” businesses and wealthy residents will fix Chicago’s financial problems. - Just Me 2 - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:31 pm: There is plenty of room to lower spending. City of Chicago employees have a platinum healthcare plan. PPO with a $300 deductible. It’s outrageous. No reason for such a generous package. Switch to an HMO with a $2,000 deductible. Welcome to the real world, AFSCME. - Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:36 pm: In addition to reducing fines/fees that people claim disproportionately affect poor people (if you get a ticket, you get a ticket, don’t park illegally) she also said no turning off water for people who have not paid their bill. Seems to me she is going to have to get money from those who people think can afford it to support those who can’t. - Cornish - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:39 pm: Unfortunately, Mayor Lightfoot is right. Business and high earners will leave the City if they are targeted to fill the pension deficit. As Just Me 2 says, there is all sorts of fluff in Chicago spending. How about closing some schools that are 50% full with no hope of seeing enrollment growth for at least 20 years? - Steve - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:43 pm: Can Chicago continue to afford to keep open high schools with less than 60 students? https://schoolinfo.cps.edu/schoolprofile/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolId=610245 - Sue - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:45 pm: Perhaps one of you enlightened folks who inhabit this blog will educate us as to what the Mayor got wrong. CT and NJ have both learned that taxing the wealthy doesn’t solve budget deficits and ultimately results in many top earners who typically are the most mobile relocating to better run localities - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:48 pm: - Steve - Are you just spamming the same link everywhere? Rahm closed 50 schools. That’s 5-0 Should they close more schools, possibly. The buildings are the largest costs, as they need to be staffed, etc. The CPS challenges will continue until the fiscal houses of the city and CPS are at least managed for a short period, without fears of strikes or policy uproars - Nick Name - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:48 pm: ===Welcome to the real world, AFSCME.=== Feel better? Do you want a cookie? - Telly - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:51 pm: Some smart capfax commenter said last week that the problem is Lightfoot campaigned as a committed progressive, but seems to hold center-right, Richard M. Daley-like views. I think that’s right on target. And it’s why she seems to be tied in knots right now. - Steve - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:52 pm: No , I’m not spanning. I made a mistake by posting this to the wrong place originally. I’m well aware that Rahm closed 50. I’m also well aware , after talking to several Chicago police officers , that closing high schools is extremely difficult because of gang issues. What a mess. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:53 pm: ===I’m also well aware , after talking to several Chicago police officers , that closing high schools is extremely difficult because of gang issues. What a mess.=== So you answered your own trolling? That’s fun. - Cornish - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 3:54 pm: I think Lghtfoot won in a blow out because Prekwinkle is not popular. - JoanP - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:05 pm: Every time she opens her moiuth I am happier that I did not vote for her. - JoanP - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:06 pm: Sorry, that’s “mouth”. Rich, I’ll bet I’m not the only one who would like an “edit” function [banned punctuation] - Pick a Name - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:11 pm: Willy, I could bring up the Cards/Cubs rivalry and your response would be something revolving around the cost of a bowl of chili in South Bend. Stay on topic with your response, me and a host of others would greatly appreciate it. And, the pension obligation in the city is still around $30 billion. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:21 pm: - Pick a Name - It is on topic, “Fodder For The Right”… As you forget everything else to blame the “Democrat Party” You heard the whistle, it’s fun reading it. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:22 pm: ===host of others=== Everyone’s a critic. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:25 pm: ===Richard M Daley, fiscally, seemed more GOP leaning than others labeled as Republicans=== Seems on topic, you just don’t like to look foolish. - Birdseed - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:29 pm: === - Pick a Name - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:11 pm: Willy, I could bring up the Cards/Cubs rivalry and your response would be something revolving around the cost of a bowl of chili in South Bend. Stay on topic with your response, me and a host of others would greatly appreciate it. === Exactly. It gets tiresome. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 4:45 pm: “Business and high earners will leave the City if they are targeted to fill the pension deficit.” Nope. Corporations keep coming to Chicago metro, knowing full-well about the possibility of tax hikes. High earners leave less than others from high-tax states, per a multi-year study. After the 2011 tax hike, Illinois gained upper-income people, and they did better than everyone else. - NerdyOne - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 5:50 pm: Seems like Lightfoot is conflicted because she knows that taxes will have to go up for EVERYONE, not just the rich, in order to close the massive budget gap. Too bad that politics punishes honesty. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 5:52 pm: ===taxes will have to go up for EVERYONE, not just the rich=== Guaranteed to happen if that graduated income tax is defeated. - NerdyOne - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 6:02 pm: === After the 2011 tax hike, Illinois gained upper-income people, and they did better than everyone else. === Could be because there was still a flat income tax that, though raised, was relatively low compared to surrounding states. Also, we now know that the wealthy areas in Chicago were paying a less in property taxes than they should have been. All those things are about to end, hence a legitimate question as too whether the wealthy will stay in Chicago, move to the suburbs, or out of state. Remember that though their numbers are small, in a highly progressive tax structure an instability in the number of wealthy residents will have a outsized effect on the budget. - Montrose - Thursday, Sep 5, 19 @ 6:53 pm: “If Chicago voters wanted a Mayor who would rubber stamp the Union agenda they would have voted for Toni Preckwinkle. Instead 72% voted for Lori Lightfoot, who does not believe just “taxing the hell out of” businesses and wealthy residents will fix Chicago’s financial problems.” You do know she is pushing both a tax on professional services and a graduated real estate tax that will hit the rich, right? I 99% sure you are reading the moment wrong. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.