28 Comments - Montrose - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:06 am: There is a bit of a catch 22 for the opposition. They need the money of the rich folks that will have to pay more if the fair tax goes through, but the ad writes itself for Pritzker if you have Rauner, Ken Griffin, and Sam Zell footing the bill to keep their taxes low. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:12 am: I’d bet a good number of rich people do support a graduated income tax, as it generally polls high. What super-minority leader Brady and his party are clearly saying is that every other option is okay except giving a large majority a tax cut in order to protect the richest. As for outmigration, it’s been demonstrated that plenty of non-rich leave Illinois as well. But cutting their taxes in order for tax fairness and fiscal burden relief is a unanimous no from the ILGOP. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:13 am: === “I believe the voters will reject—when they’re informed about the risks of this alteration—I believe voters will reject it. The question is, can we overcome the Pritzker money when it comes to messaging the truth about this alteration?” Brady said.=== In the last few weeks, Leader Brady has been on his game and truly in tune with so much going on. The House leadership would be wise to stop their own silliness and maybe take a cue or 3 from where Leader Brady is coming from with so much happening. To the quote and post, it’s the major question I know I have. If Pritzker is $5 mil deep already, what makes anyone think there’s a point of “that’s too much money” that Pritzker won’t drop, meaning… ya think $25 mil, if there’s blowback from those opposing, will be too much to spend? I don’t. Nope. So, while being broke, and Ken Dunkin’s buddy, Todd Maisch, talks about what needs to be done, Pritzker is gearing up and dropping money markers that will need to be at least chased. === “I believe the voters will reject—when they’re informed about the risks of this alteration—I believe voters will reject it. The question is, can we overcome the Pritzker money when it comes to messaging the truth about this alteration?” Brady said.=== How much can they get to make Pritzker start chasing… how much will be enough to compete with Pritzker in this before he buries y’all with a sum ya can’t match? - Steve - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:14 am: It would be too bad for Illinois if Rauner, Ken Griffin , and Sam Zell decided to leave because they didn’t like paying a higher state income tax rate. Illinois must have high revenue expectations on a very small group of taxpayers. - Jibba - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:16 am: I think you need even more money when it isn’t the “truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:16 am: - Steve “Save the millionaires and billionaires” is what Pritzker is begging these types to say publicly. It’s an ad that’s so tasty. It’s the losing argument here. - Steve - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:19 am: OW Hope you get all the revenue you are counting on. Illinois isn’t so good with financial numbers like public pensions. Hope springs eternal. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:21 am: - Steve - It’s not my plan. How do you plan to vote on the question? (End scene) - don the legend - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:37 am: ==Hope you get all the revenue you are counting on.== Steve, I get that you you must be in the highest anticipated tax bracket but please explain your plan for meeting Illinois’ obligations without additional revenue. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:40 am: One thing is certain, a modest state income tax increase will not dampen the fortunes of the likes of Zell, Griffin and others. If they’d leave because of being taxed at a rate commensurate with Wisconsin, it says a lot about them and maybe we don’t want them here. - JS Mill - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:47 am: =“I believe the voters will reject—when they’re informed about the risks of this alteration—I believe voters will reject it. The question is, can we overcome the Pritzker money when it comes to messaging the truth about this alteration?”= Bill Brady doesn’t get it or doesn’t care. =but please explain your plan for meeting Illinois’ obligations without additional revenue.= Ball game. - Deputy Registrar - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:54 am: ==Illinois isn’t so good with financial numbers like public pensions.== It’s not that they didn’t know what it would cost. It’s that they chose not to pay into the system for too many years. The bill has come due. We must pay the bill. More revenue is required. - Lake Effect - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 11:56 am: The bill that was passed is an affront to upper middle class people as rich people like JB got off easy compared to those making a few hundred thousand per year. That’s why the Blair Hulls and Ken Griffins of the world aren’t stepping up. Maybe the Ricketts will as a prelude to 2022 statewide elections but super rich self-interested peeps know this is actually good policy for the ultra rich given public sentiment here in this state. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 12:01 pm: === The bill that was passed is an affront to upper middle class people as…=== Narrator: only the top 3% will see an increase. What else ya got? ===Maybe the Ricketts…=== They ain’t all that popular right now, and ugly emails aside, putting more of a spotlight, here in Illinois, and specifically in Chicago, on the family… that’s a lose-lose for any of the Ricketts, like 100+ years of Cubs losing… losing. - Name Withheld - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 12:25 pm: ===It would be too bad for Illinois if Rauner, Ken Griffin , and Sam Zell decided to leave because they didn’t like paying a higher state income tax rate.=== When I think of Sheriff’s deputies being sent to homes to repossess medical equipment because the State didn’t pay their obligated medical expenses for a child that needed the equipment to live, my capacity for feeling sympathy for Rauner’s plight is diminished. - Annonin - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 12:42 pm: The better question for NoTaxBill is who gets the money for the negative campaign. Certainly not Spanky Baise so his losing streak extends. MAYBE they could draft the Astros Mets mamagers? - @misterjayem - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 12:49 pm: “a few hundred thousand per year” That’s really quite a phrase. – MrJM - SpfdNewb - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 12:50 pm: -Annonin- Please leave the Mets front office out of this, they are the reason we have Bobby Bonilla day. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 1:04 pm: Outmigration is very serious, a top priorty problem for the state. The Fair Tax people, Democrats and Pritzker should address the problem as part of the graduated income tax campaign, as the state and local tax burdens are too high for low/middle income people. We saw that when there was the “local control” proposal from the last governor and his allies, stripping union rights, local RTWFL (legally dead for now/SCOTUS) and ending prevailing wage, there a big backlash. Many workers showed up to oppose it at local governments. That should be part of Fair Tax campaign, that anti-Fair Tax people want to slash workers, and workers standing up against it. - Jocko - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 1:11 pm: I keep picturing Brady channeling Helen Lovejoy asking “Won’t somebody think of the 3%?” No offense to Bill, but $250K isn’t ‘middle income’ - PlsSenSorMe - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 1:28 pm: If the “Fair” tax is so fair, why doesn’t it apply to income earned and held in Caribbean Trusts? That income isn’t currently taxed by Illinois at all! What kind of billionaire governor is it that exempts himself from the tax he would impose on others less wealthy? - Sue - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 2:03 pm: The real question is why every time Democrat’s suggest if they raised taxes the States finances will improve- the promise has failed to materialize- so why will this time be Any different - Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 2:04 pm: ===If the “Fair” tax is so fair, why doesn’t it apply to income earned and held in Caribbean Trusts=== How exactly does one write a state law to tax foreign income? - Name Withheld - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 2:16 pm: ” why every time Democrat’s suggest …he promise has failed to materialize” Huh? So suggestions should have the power of actual creating effects? My kids suggest we should let them eat cake for breakfast. I guess it’s their fault that hasn’t actually happened. - Sue - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 3:15 pm: Name withheld- your comment is nonsensical. Twice in the last 10 years the Dems promised their tax hikes were all that was needed to bring the State’s finances into balance. Well taxes went up yet we are in worse shape. Both times they increased spending on new programs and/or handed out raises to their union supporters. Pritzker already has said that out of the 3.2 billion he claims his fair tax will raise he might dedicate 200 million to pension debt. Where is the rest going- new spending - SaulGoodman - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 3:15 pm: **The real question is why every time Democrat’s suggest if they raised taxes the States finances will improve- the promise has failed to materialize- so why will this time be Any different** Huh? The state’s finances DID improve after each of the last two major tax increased in the last several years. This is pretty undeniable. - Name Withheld - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 3:27 pm: Sue - that wasn’t what you posted. You said “why everytime Democrat’s suggest…” and then followed with “the promise has failed to materialize.” Suggestions are not promises. Your second comment tries to somehow make it my fault for reading what you said and not what you meant to say. - Sue - Friday, Jan 17, 20 @ 4:32 pm: Saul- add in the growth in the pension liabilities of more then 10 billion during the last several years and its hard to claim the State is in better fiscal shape. The pension problem is probably the single biggest driver of real estate values which continue to decline Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.