* Florida resident Ken Griffin is really quite something…
When discussing government spending earlier in the interview, Griffin was quick to criticize Illinois’ tax policies.
“They haven’t been able to raise income taxes yet,” Griffin said. “But they’ve raised almost every other tax you can imagine, from gas to property.”
He argued that such tax hikes aren’t an effective means to “tax the rich” as progressives would insist, but rather they’re regressive — putting greater pressure on working- and middle-class people.
On that topic, however, Griffin didn’t mention the $54 million he spent in the 2020 election to kill the graduated income tax ballot measure that Pritzker pushed that cycle.
Hilarious.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:38 am:
They haven’t been able to raise income taxes yet,” Griffin said. “But they’ve raised almost every other tax you can imagine, from gas to property.”
He ain’t wrong there is nothing but public opinion stopping the Dem’s from using their large majority to increase the flat income tax from 4.95% to whatever.
- Glengarry - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:39 am:
Maybe Ken should be worried about his supposed “free” state he lives in.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:40 am:
If your in-law uncle was the wealthiest man in the state and required you every thanksgiving to hear grievances before he carved the turkey.
To this preposterous, this ridiculous thinking…
First Griffin says “watch out, the fair tax is coming after YOU”, now it’s “look how everyone is hurt” is the exact reason folks got played by a man who spent $54 million to defeat a tax that would hurt him, but left anyway.
It’s not about the money. It’s about what his money can do for him and a platform to be the champion billionaire for the aggrieved of any flavor that will help his wealth stay with him at the expense of actual governing needs.
Now it’s a regressive taxing system.
He’s adorable.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:41 am:
Fresh reporting yesterday sez Griffie nailed $4 billion for just last year. Wonder how much Ex-mrs Griffie ( Ann Diaz) will snatch? BTW we believe she remains on the Fox Board of Directors. Now he is busy electing DeSantis president.
- Jocko - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:41 am:
==They haven’t been able to raise income taxes yet==
Despite my misleading ads saying they would.
- Blue Bayou - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:43 am:
The only thing Griffin was ever honest about, thankfully, was moving to FL.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:45 am:
=== “They haven’t been able to raise income taxes yet,”===
No, it’s not necessarily a want, but the able is 60/71 and 30/36, signature necessitating towards a governor’s favor.
C’mon Ken, ‘nember Bruce and a want for overrides for necessity?
Ridiculous, preposterous, and tiresome.
Then again, if I go look, Ken was “misunderstood” how governing worked once before…
… yeah, lemme see… where was that?
:)
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:49 am:
===there is nothing but public opinion stopping the Dem’s from using their large majority to increase the flat income tax from 4.95% to whatever===
Yeah, OK. Billions in surplus revenues would say otherwise.
- Sue - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:51 am:
Folks - it was reported yesterday that KG’s 2022 income was more than 2 billion. Round down to 2 and multiply by 5 percent and that’s 100!million in tax revenue you folks lost by your endless criticism of the States wealthiest resident
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:54 am:
=== you folks lost by your endless criticism===
Yeah, OK. Billionaire run out of state by a handful of blog commenters.
Just stop, already.
- welllllllll - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:55 am:
Spoiler Sue. Rich people don’t actually pay much in taxes.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 10:58 am:
- Sue -
It’s always comical when you wade in to defend “the wealthiest man” when in your own words to save Illinois from losing “him” we needed to defeat the Fair Tax?
Usually it’s the Mark that’s the last to realize they’re a Mark.
Griffin left as Rauner left, as… they were gonna leave, they wanted to be publicly aggrieved first, then continually lob silly reasons why Illinois “isn’t”
In short, you got played.
- Cool Papa Bell - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:04 am:
Citadel has enough going on with the SEC and Robinhood that Griffin might just want to pay attention to that rather than continue to comment about tax policy in a state that he no longer lives in.
- Left of what - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:14 am:
Yes, he’s right, those taxes are regressive. But so is a flat income tax. Five percent of 45k a year is a lot more of a hit than five percent of 200k a year.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:15 am:
Sue,
Pray tell what measures do I take to run Darren Bailey out of state.
- Suburban Mom - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:15 am:
It’s funny that you think Ken Griffins pays taxes
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:30 am:
- you folks lost by your endless criticism -
Heck Sue, we couldn’t even run you off this blog, apparently.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:33 am:
Folks “got played” by the man who spent $54 million but not by the guy in office who spent 300 million?
If you watch the interview Griffin makes clear his plans to move his home base to Florida were already in motion.
He already bought the Citadel headquarters property in Miami as well as his personal residence well before his candidate lost the primary.
His hedge fund was run out of Florida during the pandemic and his top lieutenants did not want to return here
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:33 am:
It wasn’t enough for Griffin to win the Fair Tax campaign. Dude wants it all and is going to take his ball and go home when he doesn’t get it. He can’t just buy Illinois, like Musk bought Twitter.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:33 am:
- Excitable Boy -
You win. That was exceptionally hilarious
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:41 am:
=== Folks “got played” by the man who spent $54 million===
There ya go. Thats right. See, I’ll go slower and use smaller words for you…
=== If you watch the interview Griffin makes clear his plans to move his home base to Florida were already in motion.
He already bought the Citadel headquarters property in Miami as well as his personal residence well before his candidate lost the primary.===
Folks like - Sue - were bemoaning that the way to keep Griffin and folks like Griffin was…
See how they got played. You’re saying Griffin was already leaving. Welp, spending $54 million in a state you were leaving, that’s playing the folks you’re leaving behind… even as the Marks say “we need to keep…”
Look, I think it’s admirable you trying to rewrite so much of what happened with the Fair Tax and Griffin, but wouldn’t your feeble attempts to dishonesty of facts be better served trying to help the Bears get a bailout, a bailout horrific to Arlington Heights for, as you put it, maximize revenues for the billionaire Bears?
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 11:46 am:
Why don’t you let Arlington Heights residents decide if a new Bears Stadium and the surrounding development will be horrific to their community and not worthy of the same tax considerations other massive billion dollar developments receive instead of speaking for them?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 12:07 pm:
===Why don’t you let Arlington Heights residents decide===
First, you gotta convince the General Assembly. And you’re not doing a very good job of it.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 12:12 pm:
=== Why don’t you let===
Since it’s before the GA, it seems like a state issue “in the now” and with school boards in and around AH looking for lobbying services, do you believe these school boards are asking lobbyists to be in favor of such legislation as proposed?
To bring this back,
Floridian Ken Griffin left because the flat tax won, the Fair Tax lost, or was going to leave no matter the result?
Complaining about “winning” his own choice of taxing is hilarious to a dismissive self own.
- Madigan's Apple - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 12:21 pm:
Ugh…. How can I miss him if he won’t go away.
- Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 2:01 pm:
Billions of dollars can’t buy peace of mind…apparently.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 2:48 pm:
If anyone thinks this comment section is rough on Griffin, wait until MAGA and TFG jump in, should DeSantis run for president. Griffin is quite supportive of that candidacy. This is beanbag compared with what they’ll probably face.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 3:59 pm:
=to property.”=
Property taxes actually are progressive in that they are usually higher for more valuable properties. Typically the wealthy own the most valuable properties. And, of course, property taxes are a local issue not a state issue.
= you folks lost by your endless criticism of the States wealthiest resident=
So, basically he was to delicate of a daisy to take some mean words from folks like OW (Nothing but love and respect for ya brother) and the like? And given the moderation by Rich, mean is a bit of an exaggeration.
SOOO delicate is Ken.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 4:09 pm:
=== like OW (Nothing but love and respect for ya brother)===
Back at ya.
Also, no one is wilting by my words, Ken would likely be the first, if he ever even heard of me, or any of us.
- Tired teacher - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 6:28 pm:
Hypocrisy, thy name is Ken Griffin.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 8, 23 @ 8:27 pm:
well Ken G got name checked in that mayoral debate….