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*** UPDATED x2 - ILGOP responds *** Pritzker says he’ll fight to pass progressive income tax in new TV ad

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Script…

When the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy looked at every state with an income tax, guess who they said was the most unfair?

That’s right. It’s Illinois.

It’s time for that to change. As governor, I’ll fight to pass a progressive income tax. It will make the wealthy pay more, provide support for priorities like education and reduce the tax burden on middle class families.

Let’s make our tax system fair and bring real change to Illinois.

*** UPDATE 1 *** There’s a problem with Pritzker’s analysis.

If you look at ITEP’s Illinois analysis [click here], you’ll see that the share of family income going to the state’s personal income tax is actually quite a bit less for the lowest 20 percent of earners than it is for the highest earners. That’s likely because of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The real culprits are sales and property taxes. The bottom 20 percent pay 7.1 percent of their family income to the sales tax, compared to 0.8 percent for the top 1 percent. And the bottom 20 percent spend 4.9 percent of household income on property taxes, compared to 1.8 percent for the top 1 percent.

So, while he’s right that our tax system is unfair, his solution won’t do anything about the really regressive taxes.

* Then again, this is also from ITEP…

The study, Who Pays?, provides insight into the drivers behind the unfairness encoded into Illinois’ existing tax system. Illinois relies heavily on taxes that are not based on ability to pay, but rather on a flat rate. Further, unlike most other states, Illinois does not have an income tax where taxpayers with higher incomes pay a higher rate and taxpayers with lower incomes pay a lower rate. As a result, the income tax doesn’t bring more balance to the overall tax system by offsetting the higher share of income that poorer taxpayers pay in sales and property taxes.

One positive aspect of Illinois’ tax system is the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which lets low- and moderate-income working families keep more of their earnings to help pay for things that help them keep working, such as child care and transportation. To improve tax fairness in Illinois, lawmakers should increase the value of the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit.

*** UPDATE 2 *** From the ILGOP…

J.B. Pritzker supported the income tax hike without reform, engineered a property tax scam that saved him over $230,000, and is partnering with Mike Madigan, who profits from Illinois’ broken property tax system. Pritzker pretending to care about fair taxes is just his latest scam.

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This just in… Rep. Al Riley won’t seek reelection

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Olympia Fields Democrat will have served 6 terms by January of 2019. He was active in the behind the scenes efforts to convince Democrats to vote for the tax hike and attract Republican votes to the bill. He’s probably best known for his transportation work, particularly on mass transit.

He’s a smart man who puts in the work and he’s gonna be missed.

* Press release…

State Representative Al Riley announces that he will not seek re-election in 2018, thus ending six terms representing the 38th District in Springfield. Riley came to the House in January 2007. One of his main goals was to focus on the development of the south suburban region. Riley also attempted to highlight regional inequities in the distribution of resources throughout Chicagoland.

“Residents of the Southland have always had some of the longest times to work of anyone in the Chicago metropolitan area.”, Riley says. “Similarly, reaching entertainment venues, schools or other places has always been difficult.” Because of that, Riley has always been a champion of transportation equity. As Chairman of the House Mass Transit Committee, Riley presided over numerous hearings, and developed policies and legislation to address many of those issues.

Riley co-sponsored the bills which created public-private partnerships for the South Suburban Airport and Illiana Expressway. He also was the sponsor of legislation, which abolished “Section 41” of the Metropolitan Transit Act of 1945. The abolition of Section 41 negated the CTA’s ability to throw out a claimant’s injury lawsuit if a minor detail was missing from the claim.

Riley and his other Southland colleagues worked collaboratively to develop the I-294/I-57 interchange and bridge projects. He also started the process, almost ten years ago, to secure new Highliner cars on the Metra Electric line that had bathroom facilities; the last commuter rail line to have such facilities. Recently, he was the chief sponsor of a bill creating a process for the sale of the Thompson Center and a bill creating a framework for procurement reform, which was recently signed into law

During his tenure, Riley has served on numerous committees; chairing Cities and Villages, Mass Transit and State Government Administration. “I guess one could look at the committees I chaired, and get an idea of my philosophical bent”, Riley says. Riley also served two terms as Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House. “I really enjoyed my tenure in House leadership”. “It gave me a larger platform from which to discuss, create policies, and help my colleagues in a more official position”, Riley says. Riley’s intention is to serve out his current term in the House, which ends January, 2019.

“Many of the things I set out to accomplish in 2007, I have done so”, says Riley. “If a few did not fully come to fruition, I am proud that I raised the issue and in many cases, got laws on the books”. “My plan is to continue that kind of advocacy once my legislative career ends”, Riley says.

…Adding… The updated retirement list…

Another day, another name added to the list of legislators choosing to leave the Illinois General Assembly pic.twitter.com/JhkBfxDZmq

— IL Working Together (@IllinoisWorking) September 26, 2017

…Adding More… Sen. Michael Hastings…

Representative Al Riley has been a leader for our communities and a strong voice representing the Southland in Springfield. Rep. Riley helped to usher in a great expansion in the south suburban region, leading to economic and social growth.

He was a great battle buddy to have in Springfield, however Rep. Riley will still be engaged in fighting for families across the Southland. I wish him all the best and look forward to working with him in other capacities.

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Candidate Question 6: Geolocation Privacy Protection Act

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* On Friday afternoon, I sent all the Democratic gubernatorial campaigns a link to this story…

Time is running out on Governor Bruce Rauner to act on a bill that would change the way websites track a user’s location and how they store that data.

The bill is here. Notice that an amendment specifically exempted political committees. How convenient.

* Gov. Rauner vetoed the bill later that afternoon. From the Chicagoland Chamber’s response…

Protecting consumer privacy is important, but not when that legislation is designed to open up businesses of all sizes to litigation. This bill would have directly contradicted the FTC’s call for short, in-context disclosures, which are more effective and easier for consumers to understand.

* From the Digital Privacy Alliance’s response…

(T)he Governor’s veto is a betrayal of consumer trust and total failure to people who value their personal privacy. The Governor’s action is a clear message that he values his Silicon Valley friends more than the people and small businesses in Illinois.

Ari Scharg is a board member for the alliance. He’s also a partner at Edelson PC, “a consumer protection firm based in Chicago and San Francisco.” The alliance’s legislative director is Jacob Wright, an attorney at Edelson PC.

Edelson PC and its namesake have been contributing to legislators since August of last year, and many of those contributions were in the $10K range.

The firm is well-known in California…

When technology executives imagine the boogeyman, they see a baby-face guy in wire-rim glasses. His name is Jay Edelson.

Mr. Edelson, 42, is a class-action lawyer. He is also, if not the most hated person in Silicon Valley, very close to it. His firm, Edelson PC, specializes in suing technology companies, claiming privacy violations. He has gone after pretty much every tech company you have heard of — Amazon, Apple, Google — as well as many that you have not.

He’s stirred up some stuff in Cook County, too. Click here.

* So, I was mainly curious what JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy thought about the bill, since Pritzker has been very involved in the tech community through his work to set up 1871. The wildly successful tech center is located in the Merchandise Mart, which Kennedy ran. But I also wanted to give everyone else a chance to weigh in, so I asked the campaigns: “As governor, would your candidate sign this bill into law? Why or why not?”

* Here are their answers in order of their submission…

Gubernatorial Candidate Tio Hardiman supports HB3449 and would sign this bill into law because it is very important that we protect consumers on all levels. As leaders, we should always find a way to make sure that people come first and agreeing to allow websites owners or APP developers to track or store information about consumers without their permission could present serious problems for the majority of consumers in the state of Illinois.

* Next…

Bob Daiber says he would sign HB3449 because this legislation brings a dimension of privacy for consumers. Daiber said in today’s digital world, individuals should possess the right to grant consent before information is tracked or stored in a database.

* Sen. Daniel Biss…

“Litesa and I both strongly supported this bill in the spring, and I would definitely sign it.

“As the recent Equifax breach reminded us, neither corporations nor the government can be blindly trusted with our personal data. That’s why I’ve led on these issues in the Senate, introducing legislation to limit police surveillance, crack down on banks selling credit card data, stop Equifax from profiting off their data breach by selling data protection services, and more. We need a Governor who will stand up and protect all Illinoisans, not a Governor who continually sides with millionaires and big corporations over the rest of us.”

* Pawar’s campaign initially sent me a press release about the governor’s veto, then sent me this…

Yes, Ameya Pawar would have signed HB 3449, the geolocation privacy bill. It’s a shame Gov. Rauner chose to protect big corporations instead of consumer privacy. Because of his veto, Illinois missed an opportunity to become the first state to codify these protections and lead the way nationally on geolocation legislation.

Rauner saying this bill would result in job losses without improving privacy protections is false. It’s merely an attempt to distract from his strict pro-business agenda that protects the billionaire class while ignoring the needs of working families.

Pawar would have signed the geolocation privacy bill because he believes government exists to serve its residents and protect their privacy, especially when private consumer information is being used to serve corporate self-interests without their consent. Giving consumers more control over what information is shared, and to whom, is necessary for increasing transparency and restoring trust in our institutions.

* Now, here’s Chris Kennedy…

Yes, signing this bill allows the consumer to hold the power when it comes to the personal information they share with businesses. I trust the wisdom of the consumer more than the wisdom of government regulators or corporate competitors. Let them decide to opt in or opt out. In the age of Equifax and Russia meddling in our political elections, our priority should be to protect people online and build trust among consumers.

* JB Pritzker…

As governor, I will sign the Geolocation Privacy Protection Act. Protecting digital privacy ought to be a priority for our state and for our nation. Without federal action, we need to make sure every mobile phone user in Illinois isn’t having their location information tracked by companies without a user’s explicit permission.

I thought it might be possible that one of those two guys would break from the pack on this topic. I should’ve known better.

…Adding… From comments…

Rich ,
How about this little twist ….. Aren’t we recruiting Amazon to the State of Illinois?

Exactly right.

* Related…

* Question 1: Marijuana legalization

* Question 2: Where would they cut?

* Question 3: Municipal bankruptcy

* Question 4: Campaign theme

* Question 5: Cook County pop tax and state repeal

15 Comments

Whatever Rauner does, he will break a promise to one side or the other

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m told the governor is meeting Thursday with a couple of Republican legislators who are opposed to HB40…

“I’m gonna keep doing what I’ve been doing and that is listening to advocates all across the state of Illinois and also meeting with legislators about it,” Rauner said following an unrelated appearance at a Chicago charter school on Monday. “And then we’ll be deciding where to go from there.”

Rauner said that he will make a decision in the “near future” but would not elaborate further about a timeline for action.

“These are complex issues, they’re very heartfelt, very strong, strong views on all sides and I want to make sure that I respect everyone in the process and listen to their points of view,” the Republican governor said.

He declined to say whether he might use his AV powers on the bill.

* Meanwhile…

“This is a disturbing pattern with Bruce Rauner: he says one thing and does another thing. This is a very disturbing pattern of Bruce Rauner being a politician,” said Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, noting that conservatives are already frustrated with Rauner for signing a law they decry as making Illinois a “sanctuary state” because it says that law enforcement cannot detain someone based solely on his or her immigration status, as well as a new education funding law that sends more money to Chicago Public Schools.

“A lot of conservatives are very upset,” McSweeney said. “People are very, very focused on the fact that Bruce Rauner needs to keep his word.”

* But “keep his word” to whom? In April, his office said he’d veto the bill. But back in 2014, gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner wrote this on his Personal PAC questionnaire…

“I fundamentally believe that abortion should be a woman’s private decision, hopefully in consultation with her loved ones and her faith community, and that decision should not be impeded by government,” Rauner wrote in reply to Personal PAC’s questionnaire.

“This principle should apply to all women, regardless of income level or location of residency. As governor, I will work to ensure equal access to contraception and abortion services. It is my hope that by increasing access to reproductive health services we can reduce the incidence of abortions in Illinois, while ensuring that women who do make this decision receive services in a timely manner,” he wrote.

Rauner added: “My highest priority in this area will be to ensure effective administration of the laws regarding access to contraception and provide that access regardless of income. I dislike the Illinois law that restricts abortion coverage under the state Medicaid plan and state employees’ health insurance because I believe it unfairly restricts access based on income. I would support a legislative effort to reverse that law.”

Additionally, Rauner checked “yes” boxes on questions about whether he would sign bills repealing the so-called trigger law as well as legislation about lifting Medicaid and state-employee insurance restrictions.

…Adding… Pritzker campaign…

“Bruce Rauner has gone from yes, to no, to undecided on HB40 in a shameless attempt to pander to voters,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Now his time is up and this spineless governor must decide which promise to break and which Illinoisans to betray.”

91 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** Judge Roy Moore claims Sharia law exists in Illinois and Indiana

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Alabama Republican US Senate candidate Roy Moore was interviewed by Vox.com…

Jeff Stein
Some right-wing conservatives think Sharia law is a danger to America — do you?

Roy Moore
There are communities under Sharia law right now in our country. Up in Illinois. Christian communities; I don’t know if they may be Muslim communities.

But Sharia law is a little different from American law. It is founded on religious concepts.

Jeff Stein
Which American communities are under Sharia law? When did they fall under Sharia law?

Roy Moore
Well, there’s Sharia law, as I understand it, in Illinois, Indiana — up there. I don’t know.

Jeff Stein
That seems like an amazing claim for a Senate candidate to make.

Roy Moore
Well, let me just put it this way — if they are, they are; if they’re not, they’re not.

“Up there. I don’t know.”

Whew, man.

*** UPDATE *** I didn’t realize this, but Politifact has already looked into the matter…

After checking with multiple experts, we found no evidence of such a community. What we did find was a satirical Daily Beast article headlined, “Next, We Muslims Bring Sharia to Indiana.” We rate Moore’s statement Pants on Fire.

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