* Last week, Crain’s reported that Indiana was offering $150 million in incentives to CME Group to lure the firm across the state line. Today, however, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels claimed the story was not true…
But, in a hallway intereview yesterday after a Union League Club luncheon here, Mr. Daniels replied “no” when asked if the firm would save $150 million a year in taxes in Indiana.
He also said the original story was “misleading” because, in his view, it left the impression that any savings would come from special incentives rather than differences in tax rates between Indiana and Illinois. […]
But as he had in the hallway chat, Mr. Daniels referred to the difference in corporate tax rates between Illinois and Indiana—now about 3 percentage points, with the Illinois’ headed up and Indiana’s down.
CME last yet reported net earnings of $951 million, so a cut in its corporate income tax of three cents on the dollar would seem to save it nearly $30 million a year.
Well, that’s somewhat good news. At least they haven’t gone all in on a monster package.
…Adding… Reading this, you might be forgiven for believing that the gaming bill will cut current school funding…
Stalled legislation authorizing a Chicago casino could wind up costing Illinois schools more than $100 million over a two-year period, according to an analysis by state revenue officials.
That’s because of a tax break written into the legislation at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s request that assigns the highest-grossing casinos a tax rate as little as 20 percent on revenues above $350 million. Existing law taxes such windfalls at a 50-percent rate.
New number crunching by the Illinois Department of Revenue follows the governor’s argument earlier this month that the casino-tax provision is “regressive” and that it “shortchanges” Illinois schoolchildren. […]
The Department of Revenue analysis of the legislation calculated that $123 million less would funnel into state coffers as a result of the lower tax rate on a Chicago casino.
This won’t cut current school funding. But because the Chicago casino’s tax rate would be lower than it would be under current law, schools would get slightly less from a much bigger pie for a couple of years.
The Quinn administration is really being dishonest here.
* Other stuff…
* Dick Durbin: Bank of America customers should ‘vote with their feet’: When Bank of America announced the new $5 fee, it was quickly seen as a result of the swipe fee reform — and dubbed the “Durbin fee” by some… The senator stood proudly by the “Durbin fee” moniker Monday. “I am honored to be connected with this effort,” he said. “What we are doing is fair.”
* Tribune bonus plan OKd by bankruptcy judge: The judge in Tribune Co.’s bankruptcy approved a management incentive plan that will pay bonuses of as much as $42.5 million to 640 employees.
* $11M in savings seen by pooling city-county services
* CTA chief knocks ‘archaic’ work rules, projects $277 million deficit
* Gas prices falling in Chicago
* Ford, UAW leaders have tentative contract deal
* Apple to launch iPhone 5 today