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A very good question

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Illinois

* The four Republican candidates for governor were asked during a forum yesterday whether they’d allow the temporary income tax increase to expire. All four said they want it to go away. But Treasurer Dan Rutherford added this…

“I don’t want it to stay, but when someone says they’re going to outright veto it, a fair question is: where are you coming up with $6 billion to $7 billion worth of cuts,” he said.

Sen. Kirk Dillard does have a plan…

“The Senate Republican caucus has a plan that shows you how you phase out that tax. It lays out a menu of options,” he said.

That plan, you may recall, was used by the Senate Democrats last year to hammer Republicans for wanting to cut programs. Republican slams against the Democratic tax hike didn’t work.

Then again, that was last year, a presidential election with the state’s own resident at the top of the ticket. Next year’s electorate will be different.

* Also, this…

As for how the state would make up for that huge loss of revenue, Brady said he would “demand the Legislature live within its means,” while Dillard suggested a constitutional amendment that would withhold legislators’ pay if they didn’t adopt a balanced budget.

* Brady also wants some growth, which would help balance the budget…

Brady said a major goal if elected governor would be to create 100,000 new jobs annually and put policies in place that “move (Illinois) to the forefront of this nation’s economy.”

* From the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s announcement that the state’s unemployment rate had fallen to 8.9 percent…

Illinois has added +268,900 private sector jobs since January 2010 when job growth returned following nearly two years of consecutive monthly declines. Leading growth sectors are Professional and Business Services (+117,700); Education and Health Services (+57,700); and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+51,600). Government has lost the most jobs since January 2010, down -27,300.

That’s an average annual rate of about 70,00 jobs, so Brady would need to raise that growth rate by about 42 percent.

* In other GOP primary news, Rauner’s fundraising juggernaut continues…

State filings from yesterday (11/21) afternoon show Illinois’ richest man, Ken Griffin, pitching in $250,000 to Rauner’s campaign.

It’s the second time this week Rauner received a donation worth a quarter of a million dollars. […]

Both of Rauner’s biggest contributors have previous ties to Democrats. Former CEO of AllScripts Glenn Tullman donated to Gov. Pat Quinn in the last governor’s race. And Griffin, who’s President of Citadel, helped out Chicago Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel to the tune of $100,000.

This isn’t the first time Griffin has helped a candidate promising to change how things are done in Springfield; back in 2002 and 2003, Griffin gave $70,000 to Rod Blagojevich.

Not including the $500,000 he put into his own campaign, Rauner has raised more money in the last nine days than Rutherford has raised all year. He’s reported raising more money in the last three days than Dillard has all year. And Rauner raised almost twice as much yesterday as Brady has raised all year.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:58 am

Comments

===Government has lost the most jobs since January 2010, down -27,300.===

I just wanted to highlight that for everyone who thinks high taxes are driving jobs out of Illinois.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:08 am
=== The Senate Republican caucus has a plan ===

AKA, the Illinois Policy Institute’s feckless farce.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:11 am
=== Brady said a major goal if elected governor would be to create 100,000 new jobs annually and put policies in place that “move (Illinois) to the forefront of this nation’s economy.” ====

I would like to add that lots of States have added thousands of minimium wage jobs…. those jobs bring in no income, increase people who earn tax refund payments beyound what they pay, and consume social services.

We dont need lots of bad paying jobs. We need to add high paying middle class jobs. Until an elected official show me they clearly understand that distinction, I call hogwash on this blind creation of jobs that drain our economy by making more poor people who need assitance.

We have enough wal-mart workers.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:16 am
i wonder. is rauner making fundraising calls to these whales, or are they coming forward on their own? who, if anyone, is making calls on his behalf? even if they came forward on their own, you would think a chunk that size would merit a thank you call, and chat. (even paul simon alluded to whose phone calls he would return at the end of the day.)

will these donors be doing work with the state? my point is, for a guy who “cant be bought”, i would argue maybe he cant be bought, but his attention can certainly be rented. its just that his price is likely higher than most.

Comment by langhorne Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:18 am
As his answer demonstrates, the one person in the room who actually knew the math was Rutherford … and he’s being as honest as a politican running for election can be about taxes.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:19 am
These Rauner numbers certainly have his GOP opponents in panic mode behind-the-scenes and I think they’re at least making Quinn quite nervous. If Rauner keeps this up I expect that Quinn and/or his allies will start spending money attacking him in the GOP primary to try to eliminate him in March. At Thanksgiving next week, Quinn has to be sooooo thankful he doesn’t have a primary contest to fund.

Comment by Hey Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:20 am
Brady says he can “create” 100K jobs a year. Isn’t that what the GOP is always lampooning the dems for? Gov’ts don’t create jobs, do they Senator?

Howsabout just repeating the mantra: “we will get rid of waste, fraud and abuse”. That always works, right?

Comment by dupage dan Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:21 am
–Not including the $500,000 he put into his own campaign, Rauner has raised more money in the last nine days than Rutherford has raised all year. He’s reported raising more money in the last three days than Dillard has all year. And Rauner raised almost twice as much yesterday as Brady has raised all year.–

Woof. That must be scary and sobering to the other candidates.

They might not have a choice but to go just down-and-dirty about a wretched excess Democrat trying to buy the GOP nomination.

If they have pictures of Rauner at Griffin’s wedding at Versailles, they might want to trot them out. More Emanuel and Daleys, too.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:22 am
Ghost,

Uhhh, I don’t think people are quitting their “middle class” jobs to go work at walmart. That would have to be the case for what you just said to make any sense.

So if you have 100 people, and none of them have jobs that is somehow less expensive for the government than if 80 of them had one, regardless of the wage? You will have to explain that one to me.

Comment by J. Nolan Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:25 am
a constitutional amendment to withhold legislative pay unless the budget is “balanced”? seriously, kirk? why not add the words “really, really, i mean it” to the oath of office swearing to uphold the constitution. disappointing and weak, from someone who touts his experience and readiness to lead.

propose a CA to make redistricting fair and independent, and you will be proposing something worthwhile, instead of this nonsense.

Comment by langhorne Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:28 am
It’s easy for a politician to say anything to get elected. Usually hard to actually deliver on campaign promises, “I will create 100000 new jobs, etc.”.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:30 am
Brady’s plan to cover the $6-7 Billion in cuts is to “demand the Legislature live within its means” and “move Illinois to the forefront.”

That’s about as much fiscal plan detail as we have ever heard from Brady, and will ever hear. He really hasn’t a clue. His inability to understand numbers, and budget structures, and his facility at glossing over arithmetic, are weaknesses that many have witnessed, but are reluctant to point out.

Other commenters have noted that he has access to great financial staff and support who will help him. They can probably produce a plan that Brady can then attempt to implement. Isn’t that good enough?

Rauner, Dillard, and Rutherford are all better, at least in the financial skills dimension.

Comment by walkinfool Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:30 am
The expiration of the temporary tax increase and the concomitant structural imbalance/regressivity of our current tax structure should be the seminal focus of this election debate, because all else flows from it, from education funding to tax loopholes to job creation.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:35 am
To quote Will Rodgers, “When I tell a joke, it is something funny. When congress tells a joke, it’s a law.” It somehow reminds me of the Illinois statehouse.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:39 am
J. Nolan

you are assuming that we have a finite isolated population, and that adding jobs does not bring in people from other states to fill them.

What actually happens as you add jobs you draw in more people. Take texas, with its increasing number of workers requesting governemnt assistance. They keep adding low income jobs, and their population is increasing as people come for the work… but then they have to subsidze those newly created low paying jobs so the cost of social services keeps rising.

We seem to think that turning the US into the next China is a good plan. We do not need a few extremly wealthy people and the rest living in abject poverty. Every year average US wage goes down, and the average wages in other countries go up…. That many people do not see or seek to stop this trend is why the US is in a race to the bottom. its nopt Government spending, or helping the poor have medical care and food that is hurting us; its our belief that a system where we pay hundreds of millions to a couple of people at the top, and offer minimium wage jobs at the bottom to support that transfer of wealth is somehow a good economy. Until the middle class and middle class wages stop declining our economy is not in good shape. a few more poverty level jobs arent taking us anywhere.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:45 am
Steve,

What is this attempt to bring rational focus to a major policy issue that affects the citizens of this state. Where is the snide comment, offhand cheap shot or ad hominem rhetoric?

Comment by Norseman Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:45 am
Well said Norseman. Civil and rational discourse has no place on a blog. Take your important observations elsewhere Mr. Schnorf. We’re working on bumper sticker slogans here.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:49 am
Steve: absolutely correct

Has anyone running actually got a plan for surviving well without extending the current tax rates?

Is there any chance for major tax structure changes, a la Martire?

Honest questions, looking for any insight you may be willing to share.

Comment by walkinfool Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:23 pm
Ghost you took the words right out of my mouth as far as 100,000 low wage jobs add nothing to the tax base

Comment by foster brooks Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:28 pm
Scott walker promised 200,000 jobs, how’s that working out?

Comment by foster brooks Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:33 pm
Do these candidates know the Governor submits a budget to the GA? Therefore they would have to propose specific cuts, not just tell the GA to handle it.

Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:40 pm
I wish Rutherford had the money or means to get his message out on a big scale. Illinois could use his pragmatism.

Comment by Johnny Q. Suburban Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:40 pm
His opponents need to figure out a way to do him what McCain did to Romney in 2008 and that’s harness their political experience over decades to trump his $ and inexperience. You can’t put together a message against this guy?

Comment by shore Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:45 pm
Ghost,

My respect, what I thought was a pretty dumb statement by you actually had a good, rational argument behind it.

–”you are assuming that we have a finite isolated population, and that adding jobs does not bring in people from other states to fill them.”–

I was just thinking in terms of Illinois, the unemployment is so high that you would have to think a lot of these 100,000 jobs would go to current Illinoisans. Whereas Texas, with a better looking UE rate, nice weather, and large growth numbers, actually does pull in a lot of non-Texans because the jobs are there for the taking and because its a nice place to live (taxes, weather).

Comment by J. Nolan Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:56 pm
Four different $25k checks reported today by Rauner. The onslaught continues.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:57 pm
Rutherford is the adult among pandering Tea Party brats.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:59 pm
Any candidate who thinks the tax increase should expire automatically comes off of my list for consideration. It shows me they are clueless.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:12 pm
==Brady said a major goal if elected governor would be to create 100,000 new jobs annually and put policies in place that “move (Illinois) to the forefront of this nation’s economy.”==

Trying to outdo Scott Walker, eh?

==State filings from yesterday (11/21) afternoon show Illinois’ richest man, Ken Griffin, pitching in $250,000 to Rauner’s campaign.

It’s the second time this week Rauner received a donation worth a quarter of a million dollars.==

Don’t be fooled folks, Bruce Rauner is beholden to no one! A few gigantic donations from mega-rich tycoons mean nothing. /sarcasm

==Scott walker promised 200,000 jobs, how’s that working out?==

88K as of October. Also, Scott Walker promised 250K.

http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/interactive-data-job-growth-under-scott-walker/html_91c1d53c-86a3-11e2-8ee8-0019bb2963f4.html

==Do these candidates know the Governor submits a budget to the GA? Therefore they would have to propose specific cuts, not just tell the GA to handle it.==

Maybe they want to take lump sum to a new level.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:51 pm
I think it’s pretty clear what attacks the field may use against Rauner, if he starts to actually show movement.

I’m more curious about what ads Rauner would run to try and bring down Rutherford, if the latter makes the late-surge a lot of Cap Fax bloggers seem to be hoping he will.

These kinds of comments from Rutherford seem like natural attack fodder - “Rutherford: won’t rule out a tax increase.”

But if Rauner resorts to such attacks and then wins, of course, that will just cement his future hypocrisy when he has to either keep some of these taxes or witness a full-scale fiscal meltdown.

Comment by ZC Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 3:55 pm
Does someone have the link to the Senate GOP tax hike expiration plan? I’ve been searching and can’t seem to find it (Dillard is constantly referring to it)

Comment by Guest Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 3:57 pm
Ghost - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:45 am:-

Amen to all you said. Great observations…

Comment by Roadiepig Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 4:08 pm
I expect although he’s minimized it publicly, Pat Quinn wants that permanent extension, and people are already paying it, and with all Illinois’ sickening Debt, we DO need it. Cut, cut, cut…sure, pretty soon there’s hardly any BONE left either. To Kirk–fine as to your supposed “menu” of cuts, but to borrow Walter Mondale’s famous line from 1980, “Where’s the BEEF?!” Show us the cuts YOU will make item by item and then try to insist no Illinoisan will be significantly hurt by some of them.

And Dan R.? Nice try, but ya can’t have your cake and eat it too–if you’re against the extension too, lay out in DEtail just what YOUR Plan of 6-7 Billion in Cut$ is…!

And as far as the Other 2 candidates trying to shamefully play Dodgeball somehow with such a tremendously important issue, pfff! “You can run but you can’t hide,” on this one, as the Old Saying goes. At some point, you will need to man-up and lay out your ACTUAL PLANS to save $7 Billion of the Taxpayers’ money in utter detail, or else your NON-response will represent your response…!

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 5:31 pm