* Remember this Ideas Illinois ad?…

Pritzker and Madigan want to change the constitution to allow a permanent jobs tax on middle class families… They’re putting a constitutional amendment on your 2020 ballot, paving the way for their jobs tax on the middle class.

* BGA’s Politifact…

While there’s no official definition for a “jobs tax,” it is clear Pritzker’s plan doesn’t contain one.

Experts we spoke with noted the term gets used colloquially to describe so-called head taxes like one Chicago once levied on larger employers. But that in no way resembles what Pritzker is proposing.

Richard Auxier, a research associate with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, said it is “completely incorrect” to use the term “jobs tax” to refer to a graduated income tax proposal.

“The income tax is not on people, it is on your income,” he said.

The income tax… is not on… people? The tax is officially known in Illinois as the “Individual Income Tax.” That’s just as weird as making up some phrase like “jobs tax.” I mean, who pays income taxes? Income?

I used the Google and the only definition of a “jobs tax” I could find is by a Seattle columnist in reference to a proposed local head tax. So, yeah, it can be used “colloquially” by one guy in the state of Washington, but other than that, it doesn’t appear to be a thing. So, I guess they’re right that it’s not in there because it’s not a thing. But maybe that’s a matter of opinion because Baise’s group could’ve just made up a new definition for an advertisement, which does happen. Ideas Illinois wouldn’t respond to Politifact, so I sent the group the Think Big Illinois press release about the Politifact piece and asked what the heck a jobs tax is anyway.

* This is all I could get…

It is quite fitting that this ‘fact check’ along with the Pritzker Team’s reaction comes on April Fool’s Day. The proposal being put forward by Governor Pritzker is clearly a middle class jobs tax and until Speaker Madigan and the Governor lock the actual rates into the constitutional amendment, no one can ensure middle class families otherwise. Illinois has been hemorrhaging good, middle-class jobs for years and this proposal would only make that worse.

So, Baise wants to lock rates into the constitution? Careful what you wish for.

* Meanwhile…

Ideas Illinois today released a second round of bi-partisan advertising thanking Republican Representative Terri Bryant and Democratic Representative Jerry Costello for standing with middle class families while calling for opposition to the Pritzker/Madigan Jobs Tax.

“The Pritzker/Madigan Jobs Tax is a blank check handed to Springfield insiders,” Ideas Illinois Chairman Greg Baise said. “We want to ensure middle class families know when their elected officials are standing up for them and opposing this massive tax which will drive more jobs out of our state.”

The Costello ad is here, the Bryant ad is here.

…Adding… Press release…

Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement in response to Ideas Illinois’ latest ads:

“Just a day after their misleading attacks were called out as ‘false,’ Ideas Illinois is at it again in their latest attempt to use ‘classic fear-mongering techniques’ to ensure the wealthiest Illinoisans avoid paying their fair share. The fact is, under Governor Pritzker’s fair tax plan, 97% of Illinoisans will not see an income tax increase, with only those making more than $250,000 a year paying more.

“As PolitiFact recently explained, ‘While there’s no official definition for a “jobs tax,” it is clear Pritzker’s plan doesn’t contain one.’ That clearly won’t stop Ideas Illinois from continuing with their dishonest claims, but Think Big Illinois will continue to stand up for working families in the fight to implement a fair tax.”