* If you click here you will see Vote Yes for Fair Tax just reported a $500,000 contribution from the California-based Omidiyar Network. Pierre Omidyar founded eBay and set up a “philanthropic investment firm” called Omidiyar Network.
Vote Yes for Fair Tax is not Gov. Pritzker’s political committee. I wrote about the group last month in Crain’s…
But the Vote Yes for Fair Tax committee won’t be running expensive TV ads, says its chairman, John Bouman of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. “This is more of the sort of sweat-equity, grassroots, community-based ground game” approach, he says.
The organization’s largest contributor to date (at $250,000) is the National Education Association, which has thousands of members here. The Illinois Federation of Teachers has kicked in $100,000. AFSCME Illinois Council 31, with tens of thousands of members, has contributed $50,000 in cash so far and donated the time of two staffers. SEIU Healthcare, which also has tens of thousands of members here, contributed $50,000 in cash and $10,000 for access to Voter File data, and donated the time of two staffers.
I’ve detected some worry among Pritzker types that this other group could go off-script and weaken the overall message.
But Vote Yes for Fair Tax spokesman Jake Lewis says he wasn’t worried about muddying the message. “The folks who are involved in Vote Yes for Fair Tax have been working on this issue for years and years,” he says. Many of the people involved, including Bouman at the Shriver Center, have long been working to pass a progressive income tax through the Responsible Budget Coalition. “The more folks working on this,” Lewis says, “the more effective we’re going to be.”
Up until now, the NEA had been the committee’s largest contributor, at $250,000.
* In contrast, the Vote No On The Blank Check Amendment committee reported having no money at the end of the first quarter.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 13, 20 @ 5:36 pm:
=== * In contrast, the Vote No On The Blank Check Amendment committee reported having no money at the end of the first quarter.===
Unless they find a sugar daddy willing to go after the monies Pritzker will put up and now $500K begins this group, dunno who might want to go dollar to dollar in this economy and economic dynamic to claim a fair tax isn’t “fair” when 97% won’t see a tax increase.
- Give us Barabbas - Wednesday, May 13, 20 @ 5:39 pm:
=== * In contrast, the Vote No On The Blank Check Amendment committee reported having no money at the end of the first quarter.===
That is “restaurant quality” irony, right there. No blank checks for that lobbying effort, eh?
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, May 13, 20 @ 6:03 pm:
Need a Fair Tax now more than ever
- City Zen - Wednesday, May 13, 20 @ 6:50 pm:
Buy It Now.
- ;) - Wednesday, May 13, 20 @ 7:44 pm:
Gotta love out of state money influencing things.
- Bruce - Wednesday, May 13, 20 @ 8:34 pm:
Once the bills start coming in and the revenue deficits reported taxpayers will be spooked by any mention of tax increase regardless of who is targeted and how many assurances that they are safe from it. The point will be made that when others were furloughed and laid off the state county and city governments did nothing to control costs.
- iggy - Thursday, May 14, 20 @ 8:43 am:
lol if you think anything with the word “tax” in it will pass in this economy. no need to lobby, the virus already did that.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 14, 20 @ 8:46 am:
=== if you think anything with the word “tax” in it will pass in this economy. no need to lobby, the virus already did that.===
That’s what the 3% hope.
You think in this crisis, “sticking it to the 3%” might be a backlash tool?
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, May 14, 20 @ 8:59 am:
Republicans unanimously oppose a modest tax increase on the richest at all costs, even as very many would get a small tax cut. That really defines the party’s values.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, May 14, 20 @ 9:02 am:
- lol if you think anything with the word “tax” in it will pass in this economy. -
Might try reading up on 1935.
- OpentoDiscussion - Thursday, May 14, 20 @ 2:14 pm:
Wonder why this California based group would want to inject itself in Illinois politics.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 14, 20 @ 6:31 pm:
=== Wonder why this California based group would want to inject itself in Illinois politics.===
Meh.
Your complaint is only good if “No Blank Check” takes out if state money.
So far, they don’t have that worry.