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* The train is close to running off the rails. Literally, in some cases…
In a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn, the RTA complains that the ongoing delay in receiving $250 million due it [from the state] is forcing it to use borrowed money to pay debt service on outstanding bonds.
The RTA is approaching a “crisis point” regarding funds for current expenses, it said in the letter.
“If state funding is not forthcoming in the near future in amounts sufficient to pay our ongoing debt service obligations and resume providing … money to the service boards, disruptions to transit service across the region may be inevitable,” said the letter from Executive Director Steve Schlickman.
More…
A swelling, multibillion dollar deficit has left Illinois months behind in its payments to providers across the state.
For instance, the Williamson County Early Childhood Cooperative in southern Illinois is planning to send layoff notices to its 41 employees in the next few weeks because money from the state has not come through.
Judy Erwin, the director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, warns that some colleges might not be able to stay open…
Not only is the state totally negligent in terms of their responsibility, but it is effectively privatizing higher education. We’re very close to that now, as it is, but we’re looking at schools that may not be able to keep their doors open to the end of the semester.
The Tribune wrung its hands…
What are the prospects that these pols will — out of public view — divine fixes that are fair to people who rely on state services, fair to health and other providers that deliver those services, and fair to taxpayers who bear the burden for it all?
And Progress Illinois rightly pounced…
We appreciate the Tribune’s call for transparent action from the General Assembly. But what specific “fixes” do they propose? And what is their definition of “fair”? Without more detail, these editorials are meaningless.
Meanwhile, the bickering continues…
A plan to borrow $250 million to capture matching federal Medicaid funds and start paying medical providers more quickly is now tied to a measure that would allow state universities to borrow money to fund their operating budgets. Both proposals are intended to address the issues of the state’s millions in overdue bills.
The short-term borrowing plan passed the House with Republican support, including approval from Minority Leader Rep. Tom Cross. It went on to stall in the Senate amid rumors that it lacked Republican support in the chamber. […]
Republican senators said [yesterday] that they support the plan to let schools borrow but are opposed to the state taking out another short-term loan because they say no plan has been offered for paying the money back.
They accused the Democrats of playing political games by putting the two proposals up for one vote as SB416. Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican, called the meshing of the proposals “an ill-arranged marriage” that “creates concern” for legislators such as Righter, whose districts contain universities.
And if all that wasn’t bad enough…
Illinois was rated the most troubled pension system in the nation, with a 54 percent funding level and a total liability of more than $54 billion, according to a study of state-administered pension funds being released today.
More…
Pew also said that Illinois had set aside less than 1 percent of the funds it need to pay for $40 billion in health care and other benefits promised public sector retirees.
* Related…
* Nonprofit groups hang by a thread waiting for state funds - Much of Illinois’ $3.8 billion in unpaid bills is owed to organizations that help the most vulnerable
* Illinois public libraries face 16 percent funding cut: The General Assembly had asked that 23 percent be cut, but the decrease was held to 16 percent with the addition of some federal money into the pool, according to Pat McGuckin, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office.
* Lawmakers call for study of college affordability: That’s a particularly tough assignment now. State government owes universities hundreds of millions of dollars in overdue payments.
* Senate panel approves borrowing measure for state universities, Quinn
* Senate panel OKs bill to let universities borrow
* Illinois Universities Look for Cash Solutions
* Forby Pushes Bill to Allow Community Colleges to Borrow at Twice Limit
* U. of I. asks alumni to push state to pay $475 mil. owed
* Thousands rally for tax increase to fix Ill. budget
* Group Rallies In Favor Of State Income Tax Hike
* Pro-tax groups protest budget cuts at state Capitol
* Group warns that Illinois budget suffering: “What might have been a total package of approximately $9-10 billion over the whole lifetime of (the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act), you’re down to the last third of that, when making decisions for the FY11 budget,” said Michael Bird, senior federal affairs counsel with the organization.
* Sweeny: State tax increase could work, but who’d vote for it?
* Where there’s smoke, there’s usually more to tax
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:14 am
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OK folks - you want to get re-elected this fall?
Then you have to open your eyes and see that doing nothing is no longer an option for you. Fingerpointing is no longer accepted. Talking out of both sides of your mouth will no longer work. You do not have enough campaign cash to keep your constituents from ignoring the fact that Illinois is crashing while you are at the wheel.
Hanging your head, looking down at your feet, or beginning every sentence with a sincere Durbin-like sad puppy face presentation will no longer be enough to save your hides.
Get to work. Fight it out. Do what is needed to get this kind of news out of our faces. We have enough of our own problems without being reminded that you guys have screwed around and ignored the obvious for a decade.
If this kind of news continues, start packing right now. You will not be re-elected. You don’t deserve to be re-elected. Get out now.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:24 am
There are only three options:
1) Raise taxes
2) Spending cuts. Not token, happy spending cuts, deep, painful spending cuts.
3) Magic beans
Expect the magic beans caucus (Democrats, Republicans, ed boards) to grow to a ridiculous size this spring.
Comment by Scooby Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:26 am
It’s gonna take bad stuff happening…
Schools closing, deaths, folks standing on Metra trains all of the time, etc before anything happens.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:36 am
Agreed with Scooby. But, assuming you want a meaningful solution not reliant on magic beans, you really should not view option 1 and option 2 as mutually exlusive. I believe that Quinn would have much more public support for a tax increase if he had followed through with any of his proposed cuts last year. Conversely, I have no idea how Brady will balance the budget on cuts alone. Then again, he seems to be focused on conservative social issues instead of fiscal– so maybe he is also thinking magic beans…
Comment by Confused Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:39 am
Oh look, a Kitty!
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:42 am
It’s gonna take a lot of kitties
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:56 am
The answer can not be only raise taxes. Meaningful and symbolic spending cuts need to be made. Pension reform is a must and for heavens sake put slots and video poker at Ohare and midway so we can get some money before all the conventions leave Chicago. Perhaps the state could buy some powerball tickets. Everytime Quinn mentions raiseing taxes he better tell what he is doing to cut costs and streamline state goverment.
Comment by fed up Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:00 pm
I appreciate the apparent political necessity of cuts coming along with a tax increase, but there have been a thousand little cuts made over the last few years and I do not see where a large cut could or should be made, especially for symbolic purposes.
Higher Ed cuts have pushed tuition to almost unacceptable levels. K-12 is already below where numerous recommendations have said it should be. The prisons are woefully understaffed. The state backlog of maintenance (IDOT, DNR, and everywhere else) has been well documented.
The solution is a tax increase. It’s not popular, but that’s what we need. Where there is bloat in the State, those areas should be cut, but those cuts will be small and won’t fit the bill of the “large cuts” some of the pols claim they can make.
In the mean time, agencies and contractors and schools and parks need to start shutting down so the public and the elected “leaders” can get a real taste of what the lack of funding really means.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:26 pm
OneMan @11:24 nailed it, but I’ll take it one step further.
To all advocates of spending cuts, whether here or on the campaign trail: Generic “cut spending!” statements are no longer enough. What will you cut? By how much? Why? Do you really think we can climb out of this hole without tax increases of one sort or another? If you do, why? Explain yourselves well or consider yourselves part of the “Magic Beans coalition.”
I also strongly suggest that everyone here read James Howard Kunstler’s “The Long Emergency.” We’re in deep excrement, folks, and it’s only going to get worse.
Comment by Northsider Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:39 pm
So as ye sow . . .
In the General Assembly’s recent decade of profligate fiscal irresponsibility (recall that years ago even Blago accused the leadership of spending like drunken sailors), and recurring decades of whistling past the graveyard on pension funding, the legislators greatly expanded the field of “State Vendor,” with the concomitant dependency on the State dollar to fund jobs. But these jobs were created by overspending in the first place, and simply may not be viable under an reasonable fiscal and tax structure. (Of course, “reasonable” is the key word of the debate.)
Hold on tight, people, because this year may be far, far rougher than we currently suppose. “California” is coming down the tracks like an express train, and a wreck is almost certain. I would not want to be an incumbent dogcatcher this year, and Madigan may not survive this year as Speaker.
Comment by Bubs Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:39 pm
So there is no money to pay the universities/colleges, so they have no funds. They want to borrow money now; and basically use as collateral the money the State does not have and has not payed them. The State has not identified any revenue coming in which would be available to pay these funds at all, much less before the end of the fiscal year.
So the universities want to borrow money they cant pay back, and the legislature, including the fiscally repsonsible GOP is going to support it?
And this sounds like a good idea? How about this, we do not borrow on imaginery collateral, the legislature instead finds the funding and pays the schools. If they cant find the funding, we dont support bad loans and pretend the problem is fixed.
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:44 pm
This is what happens when you fail to pass a balanced budget as required by the Constitution. Dan Hynes gets to sit in his office and decide who gets paid. If Lisa Madigon was anything more than a pawn, she would have filed an injunction against the unconstitutional expenditures.
Quinn, Madigan, and Hynes are violating the law under the watchfull eye of Lisa Madigan. God forbid we ever elect a real AG and they will all have one name for Rod…Cell Mate!
Comment by the Patriot Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:49 pm
Let’s see, Universities aren’t being paid. K-12 schools aren’t being paid. Libraries aren’t being paid. The RTA isn’t being paid. Health care providers are not being paid.
Exactly who IS getting paid, besides the bond holders and the GA, of course?
Where is Comptroller Hynes with a plan for financial “triage” to pay the bills that are most critical to citizen services?
That is his job, right? Or has he essentially quit performing his constitutionally required duties because he’s pouting over the Governor’s race?
Hello,are there ANY competent people doing their jobs on the financial end out there?
Comment by PalosParkBob Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:50 pm
Real cuts are still needed. Get rid of lt. Gov position. Eliminate the township layer of goverment all of their functions can be done at the county level. We can probably eliminate 75% of the states commisions and boards with no one careing but the connected few that paid for their seats in “campaign donations”. Pensions have to be changed for future hires. Stop the taxpayer funded flights from Springfield to chicago everyday Blago is not the only one to abuse this costing taxpayers money
Comment by Fed up Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 12:58 pm
===That is his job, right? Or has he essentially quit performing his constitutionally required duties because he’s pouting over the Governor’s race?===
Bob, what sort of financial triage do you think is appropriate? Hynes is sitting on billions of bills. Unless Giannoulias is hiding money somewhere, there isn’t much triage to be done. Should we stop payment on General Assembly payroll? Fine, that saves a couple million maybe. We could then offer the universities, K-12 schools, nursing homes, medicaid providers, etc, about a penny for each dollar they are owed.
Financial triage? The patients are hemmoraging. There’s no blood left in the bank.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 1:01 pm
Palos, as much as I am a Republican and can blame Dems with the best of them….Hynes does “triage” every single day. That is what his job is. But he isn’t a magician. There are just way more bills than money. I think he does a very good job in very, very tough circumstances.
Comment by raising kane Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 1:02 pm
While I believe state spending needs to get cut, the problem here isn’t the cuts.
The problem is that the state said, “Hey, you’re getting X”, these agencies, groups and entities plan their budget around X… and it never comes. They spent and stayed open planning on X and had the rug pulled out from under them.
There is no triage here… get your shovels, it’s time for a mass grave.
Comment by John Bambenek Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 1:04 pm
Jim Edgar said anyone who denies the need for a tax increase is foolish or irresponsible.
That’s true, and it’s time to say the same for anyone who asks “what [Illinois] is doing to cut costs and streamline state goverment” (sic).
Just a few well known and undisputed facts:
- Illinois is 49th of 50 states in state share of education funding.
- Illinois has the nation’s fewest state employees per resident.
- Illinois is 51st in funding for services to individuals with developmental disabilities
- Illinois was graded an F for access to mental health services
- The state recently extracted $200 million in savings from its employees taking furlough days, deferring pay increases and more
- The governor’s pension task force found that state pensions are cheaper than private-sector retirement benefits
- The operating budget was cut $2 billion this year
- Controlling for inflation and population growth, state spending on human services was cut nearly $400 million per year between FY03 and FY10
And of course the list goes on.
For years cutting and borrowing are the ONLY things Illinois has done to manage its budget.
Now it’s time to fix the revenue side.
Comment by Cutting costs Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 1:06 pm
Dear Cutting…very well said. This is a pathetic state of affairs…I was never for term limits, but see that the citizens of IL have little recourse if they expect a shred of accountability and/or responsibility from their elected officials…
Comment by Loop Lady Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 1:19 pm
“Illinois has the nation’s fewest state employees per resident.”
True; but that statement overlooks the fact that Illinois also has more units of local government (with taxing powers, and with employees drawing salaries, pensions, health benefits, etc.) than any other state. These units perform many functions that would be performed by the state in other states (e.g., maintenance of county and township highways).
The multiplicity of local government units with taxing powers also contributes strongly to the perception of Illinois as a high-tax state even though state taxes (especially income tax) are not that high.
Taken in isolation, state employment levels and state taxes are pretty low; but when you add in all the other layers of government with their accompanying taxation, it’s a different story.
This is the “big picture” that always must be kept in mind during ANY discussion of taxation (pro or con) or spending/program cuts — they won’t happen in a vaccuum, and they will affect everyone, not just a select class of fat cats or “tax eaters”.
Comment by Secret Square Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 1:37 pm
Illinois may not have the highest tax in a given category, but every tax imaginable is demanded from the poor taxpayer/consumer.
One side effect of these hundreds of tax collecting bodies is that each one needs to have its own administrative leadership who have salaries, benefits and pensions. This technique costs the taxpayer more than having one larger entity because of the excessive overhead costs.
Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 2:11 pm
Jim Edgar said anyone who denies the need for a tax increase is foolish or irresponsible.
Anyone who believes that a tax increase alone can solve this problem is just as foolish.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 2:11 pm
- 47th Ward
Yeah, not paying the leg would be a place to start.
Lets remember this is in part due to them promising to pay for more than they knew they could pay for.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 2:38 pm
Just looking at State taxes is futile and misleading. Total tax burden is the only meaningful measure from the POV of the citizens– who actually pay those taxes. That goes for nickel and dime special service fees like tolls and public transit as well, it is all paid from the same pocketbooks.
As for “specific cuts” why not start with the list that Quinn originally committed to doing even if the tax increase was approved. I guess buying AFSME support was more important to him.
Comment by Confused Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 2:47 pm
Oneman,
I agree completely. Do you think Hynes has anything to lose by holding up payroll? Me neither, and boy would that be fun!
“Sorry Senator, there’s no paycheck for you this week, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.”
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 2:52 pm
As always, the problems with Springfield aren’t the politicians who spent more than they had… it’s the STUPID FRAKING VOTERS who, while having trouble paying their mortgages, aren’t paying enough in taxes.
Here’s a concept, maybe, just maybe, after years of politicians KNOWING they were spending more money than was coming in, in violation of a constitution THEY took an oath to uphold and protect, maybe we should blame their ineptitude instead of rewarding them with a windfall revenue increase that they’ll just spend 110% of anyway.
Comment by John Bambenek Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 2:57 pm
I’ve asked these two questions before and I’d like to ask them again:
1. Has any state, or nation, in a comparable fiscal situation successfully managed to turn things around via tax increases without destroying its economy and driving away business in the process?
2. Has any state or nation in a comparable situation successfully managed to turn things around WITHOUT tax increases (spending cuts only), without destroying its infrastructure and thereby driving away businesses and residents in the process? I define “infrastucture” in a fairly broad sense, to include not just roads, bridges, etc. but also things like the educational and criminal justice systems, state parks, etc — the institutions most people expect government to provide for them, and which directly affect the quality of life in a given location.
Granted, there may not be any precedent for our situation in recent memory, but what about during the Great Depression or earlier?
If no one here can think of any examples, any suggestions about where to start looking for them?
Comment by Secret Square Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 3:01 pm
Secret Square,
I think there was a meeting of the Senate Caucus yesterday where there were likely several examples that might answer your question. Unfortunately, it was a secret meeting.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 3:08 pm
Marvelous. The headline:
“IL defaults before Calif !”
Paraphrasing Bushie: “Great job, Legislature”.
Comment by sal-says Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 3:10 pm
Just wondering how the state can allow the universities to borrow money against the promise of future state appropriations while not backing up that prospect with a promise of increasing revenues. The shell game continues. Not the land of Lincoln. The land of grifters.
Comment by vole Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 3:49 pm
– ss –
The difference between the state and the nation is, hypothetically the state can’t go into a deficit and just borrow it’s way through a deficit…
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 3:51 pm
I was thinking more in terms of foreign countries that use tax breaks or their lack of income or corporate taxes to attract business, and whether that works as well as advertised. But to simplify matters, let’s just restrict my questions to U.S. states.
Comment by Secret Square Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:02 pm
Secret,
Try the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:04 pm
The whole argument about the number of state employees compared to other states and the fact that the taxes are lower here than in other states in addition to the fact that Illinois has more units of gov’t (townships, park districits, etc) has been revealed and discussed ad nauseum in this blog. All of that is true. Now what are we gonna do? The state budget has been cut for years but people know hiring is still going on for protected people who shouldn’t have been hired or should have been fumigated a long time ago. Now what? Cuts just aren’t gonna make it folks. You can’t cut your way out of a 13 bill $ deficit. A pension fund underfunded by 50+ bill $. Selling the tollway ain’t gonna get it.
People don’t want new taxes. They want their services.
A strong, brave, governor who decides to do what is right rather than protect his (re)election prospects would do the right thing. PQ was supposed to be than man. He told us he was that man. He ain’t. We are going down in flames and the cockpit is empty. The pilot is in the economy class section taking up a collection to pay for more gas. Futile.
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:07 pm
=If no one here can think of any examples, any suggestions about where to start looking for them?=
I’ve got your magic beans right here. Lease public assets.
Now get on with the scare campaign.
If that doesn’t work, try borrowing from Canada. The last governor already tried a scheme to do just that with prescription drugs. The Federal Reserve may even go for it.
Comment by Brennan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:09 pm
Feel free to raise taxes the way New Jersey did or New York is doing.
Comment by Brennan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:15 pm
A tax increase is needed and will occur. However, we need to mandate a balanced budget based on actual revenues not some hyperinflated number. We need to do away with legislative member initiative monies, do away with legislative scholarships and bring down the legislative retirement formula to match what is given to the average state employee. Finally we need to do away with the notion of a part time legislative body and enact fulltime requirements with term limits. Our current legislative body deems itself above reproach and is not in contact with the voters.
Comment by EBCDIC Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:18 pm
Secret Square: Illinois has more units of local government than any other state
However, Illinois sharply lags the national average in local gov’t employment as well. Not dead last, like we are in state employees, but way back in the pack. (source US Census Bureau)
(By the way, this is so because Illinois assigns to state government many responsibilities that other states give to cities and counties, such as providing food and medical assistance and child protection.)
Secret Square: state taxes are pretty low; but when you add in all the other layers of government with their accompanying taxation, it’s a different story
Actually, revenue collected by state and local governments combined in Illinois is 15.1% of personal income. That’s 46th of the 50 states. (source Federation of Tax Administrators)
Secret Square: Has any state managed to turn things around via tax increases without destroying its economy and driving away business in the process?
In fact yes, 30 states raised taxes to deal with budget shortfalls in 2009 alone. A similar 30 states raised taxes to maintain services during the 2001-2 recession, and 44 states raised taxes during the 1991-2 recession. (source Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
Comment by Cutting costs Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:30 pm
And Illinois raised taxes during the 1983 recession.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:33 pm
In some ways the problem is the same problems the federal government faces. Since the executive and legislative is controlled by one party there is no real political incentive (yes there is the general good) for the minority party to go along with anything.
Without the minority party going along the majority is afraid to take the risks required. That’s in some ways why Edgar was able to raise taxes…
To quote an old Vulcan saying…
“Only Nixon could have gone to China”
Right now, we don’t have a Nixon.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 4:48 pm
By now, It has to be obvious to everyone that big-time cuts (K-12, municipalities, DHS) will have to be coupled with a significant, sunsetting tax increase just to get well.
Sobriety ain’t all it’s cracked up to be sometimes, but there it is.
The collapse of the financial system knocked the wind out of everything, worldwide. It’s going to be a while before we, as a nation, much less a state, are going to grow revenue.
I was born and raised in Farm Town and Main Street Illinois, and if you owe people money, you move heaven and earth to pay them. There is nothing worse than a deadbeat. You can discontinue the service, but you pay what you owe first.
Surely, that is a bipartisisan value. After all the yapping, let’s just grow up and get it done.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 5:16 pm
[…] Rich Miller at Capitol Fax has a roundup of the latest news from Illinois’s budget disaster. […]
Pingback by "The train is close to running off the rails." | chicago.rssible.com Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 5:27 pm
*Raise taxes
*Lay off the top heavy layer of Government….and yes Gladfly….those blago hacks not the bottom layers!
*Stop spending!
*no more new committees to study corrections, nursing homes, etc. We have those already
*Cut travel, you want the job then drive to work on your own dime like the rest of us
*Put all the pensions together ….yes even the GAs.
Comment by Aging Fiscal Queen Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 5:29 pm
Frankly, I’m sick of listening to Republicans complain that all Democrats want to do is raise taxes.
HB 174 provides $7 billion in revenue.
We have a projected $13 billion budget deficit.
A responsible revenue increase COMBINED with responsible cuts are the only way out of this.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 5:31 pm
YDD: Show me the Democrats cuts.
Comment by Brennan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 6:37 pm
=The collapse of the financial system knocked the wind out of everything, worldwide.=
No it didn’t. It knocked the wind out of the sails of anything trying to cruise on top of spending and borrowing.
Comment by Brennan Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 6:42 pm
Brennan, LOL. In context, what are we missing here?
You’re right. “Avatar” is doing great.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 6:50 pm
Yawn! Shame on you if this stuff is news to anyone now. Our budget problem now is sort of like smoking; there’s no one left who doesn’t know its bad for them so pointing out the obvious has little value. They continue to do it in spite of knowing quite well the immediate and long term consequences.
Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 6:59 pm
Just do whatever you can do, don’t forget to vote, and take the rest with a grain of salt.
I’m super tired of the D’s excuses…can’t solve a problem unless we can blame R’s too. It’s now been a year since we knew income taxes needed to be raised, but no action. An no paying the bills. Blame State employees pensions, get furloughs and the problem continues.
Just do what you can do. A million years ago we had a term limit amendment on the ballot. The Chicago Bar Association sued to get it stricken and it was knocked off the ballot. I quit the CBA at that point and let them know why. That was all I could do.
Do the same. Every day will bring an opportunity to make your opinion known and point out the problem. At this point in time, our non-term-limited elected officials think we’re all working for them. Every day you can do something to shake that belief. And November is coming.
Comment by Park Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 7:32 pm
And MJM needs to go. He has failed during a time of crisis. His kingship should be declared officially terminated.
Comment by Park Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 7:48 pm
Land value tax. Land can’t move out of state. Farmland investors (most land is tenant-farmed) and urban/suburban speculators will complain. But nobody will move land out of state.
Comment by Henry George Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 8:30 pm
Cutting costs:
Interesting info, but I have one other question.
Of those 30 states that raised taxes in 2009, how many actually reduced spending and currently have a balanced budget without stimulus plans?
The question is not whether state governments are willing take food of the citizen’s families’ tables to give them more spending power. They will.
The question is whether raising taxes provided the impetus to cut unnecessary spending, excessive government salaries and benefits (including benefits)and form a fiscal plan for sustainable provision of necessary public services.
Since I believe only a handful of states don’t have deficits, I would suspect that all the tax increases did was to provide an alternative to slowing the growth of state government, and allowed the GA’s and Gov’s to avoid real reform like ending unfair “prevailing wage” mandates on non-federal public construction, reforming pensions to fai levels comparable to that received by most taxpayers in their states, and reduce “boondoggle” public works projects such as those littering the current capital bill in Illinois.
Do you have a link to the referenced Federation of Admisntrators report?
Comment by PalosParkBob Friday, Feb 19, 10 @ 6:56 am