Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Another poison pill?
Next Post: Police chaplain calls Van Dyke a “hero”
Posted in:
* As I told you earlier today, the state GOP has a new hashtag about Speaker Madigan. It also has a new web video…
The Illinois Republican Party launched a new web ad entitled “#TaxHikeMike” to coincide with a social media campaign by the same name. The new video highlights Speaker Mike Madigan’s statement to the City Club of Chicago on Wednesday, indicating that a return to a 5 percent individual income tax rate (a 33% increase from the current rate) is a “good place to begin.”
“In a rare moment of honesty, Speaker Mike Madigan said publicly what he has been hiding for months: He is intent on raising taxes and will fight to block reforms to state government,” said Nick Klitzing, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party. “Madigan believes ‘a good place to begin’ is increasing taxes by 33%, but taxpayers want to begin by reforming the broken state government that Madigan has controlled for 30+ years. Speaker Madigan doesn’t want to engage in good faith negotiations that could lead to compromise; he wants a massive tax increase without structural reforms. He is #TaxHikeMike.”
* Rate the video…
* Script…
City Club of Chicago, 12/9/15
Moderator: How high do you think taxes need to go?… A one or two word answer could do.
Madigan: Alright, let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper.
… and say a good place to begin … a good place to begin … would be the level we were at before the income tax expired.33% Tax Increase
Madigan: Starting there, you could go in whatever direction you want to go.
Madigan: Starting there, you could go in whatever direction you want to go.Mike Madigan wants to raise your taxes by 33%…
…and thinks it’s funny.
#taxhikemike
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:26 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Another poison pill?
Next Post: Police chaplain calls Van Dyke a “hero”
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
Meh.
To quote Lincoln, “For the people who like that kind of thing, that’s the kind of thing they’ll like.”
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:30 pm
Poor strategy from the GOP. Rauner’s going to have to sign any tax hike; so his name is going to be on it too. Then we’re talking #TaxRaisin’Rauner. Then again, maybe the GOP is aiming for #DefaultBruce or #DefaultRauner, not sure what has a better ring to it.
Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:32 pm
So, Republicans, when Bruce comes to you in a year and says that he is ordering 2/3 of your caucus to vote for an increase in the state income tax, it’ll be Madigan’s fault.
Look, I know OODA loops are super awesome and all, but you may want to keep your powder dry on this one…
Comment by Nope, Nope, Nope Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:32 pm
What is this now, version 4.0 of “Fire Madigan?”
Yawn.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:32 pm
I like Ike, Tax hike Mike. Both easy to remember and catchy.
Comment by mokenavince Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:33 pm
This is great, until the #RaunerTax is passed with 67 GOP GA members, all of them, “green”… and the #RaunerTax is signed by Governor Bruce Rauner.
This will be a Loop to a U-Turn, and you won’t hear a hoot from The Owl on it.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:34 pm
Dear governor,
If you don’t want to only cut, then you Need tax hikes for the budget. You technically don’t need reform to balance the budget.
Taxhikemike understands this. I think you understand this. You choose to do differently because you hope you can get some union busting reforms out of the deal.
You won’t. Time to accept this. As OW has said, “do the doable.” Get some workman comp and property tax changes. Settle the union contracts which you know you could do tomorrow. Declare victory and then get ready for 2016 where you can try to get more like minded folks in the legislature.
Or… start cutting…
Comment by There is power in a union... Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:34 pm
#notrucebruce
Comment by Tuesday's Pizza Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:43 pm
Where have these folks been? We’ve been calling for ILGA members and Gov Rauner to #chooserevenue since January.
Comment by sigh Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:48 pm
A devastating exposure of the yawning philosophical chasm between Madigan’s opening position of a 5% personal income tax and the governor’s off-reported opening position of a 4.75% personal income tax (plus expanded sales taxes).
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 1:50 pm
Because all the Fire Madigan and Tax Hike Mike campaigns have worked before.
Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:00 pm
#TaxHikeMike
“That rhymes Marge — and you know it rhymes! Admit it!” — Homer Simpson, “Trash of the Titans” (1998)
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:09 pm
The Tribune Ed board will love it. Not sure it will speak to anyone else.
Comment by Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:13 pm
This looks like it was made by an 8th grader.
Comment by Curious Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:15 pm
Im sure they will roll out the inevitable “tax hike durkin” when he puts a couple dozen votes on a tax hike next year.
Comment by Abe the Babe Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:17 pm
This will have a massive impact on the three Illinois voters who were not previously aware that the Speaker wanted to return us to pre-Rauner tax rates.
Comment by Gooner Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:17 pm
===Im sure they will roll out the inevitable “tax hike durkin” when he puts a couple dozen votes on a tax hike next year.===
LOL.
- Abe the Babe -
Madigan, so Rauner can have his budget passed, will insist, demand, require… FY2015 Fix roll call. It would be malpractice after all if Madigan gives cover to the Governor’s party for the governor’s deal.
“… couple dozen… ”
That’s comical. All or nothing. FY2015 Fix roll call.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:21 pm
That ad campaign is hilarious. Who do they think will vote for the tax hike indeed? Durkin told me to my face that the gimmee for the Dems on the budget impasse would be a bipartisan vote on revenue. If I were in the SGOP or HGOP right now, I would be livid about this campaign. All it does is make it more difficult for me to do what I know I will have to do.
Comment by Pawn Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:24 pm
“Maniacal laugh…maniacal laugh!”
Comment by Anon Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:27 pm
The more we hear about Tax Hike Mike, the more Repubs will be voting for revenue before this mess is over and resolved. This makes how? After the Chicago Public Schools and higher education shut down, running on cutting taxes in Illinois will be impossible. If CPS shuts down, why not shut down the rest of the schools to force a revenue discussion?
Comment by Tempo Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:32 pm
Too bad Madigan is more powerful than a governor or we could have someone actually leading from the Mansion on this issue.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:35 pm
Spending all your time trying to win the message by demonizing Madigan. That’s never failed! LOOPS!
Comment by Horse w/ No Name Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:37 pm
Ought to go over big with the same folks who bought the $18 dollar watch schtick.
Comment by illinoised Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:39 pm
Pawn nailed it. This only makes it more difficult for Rauner to get a compromise.
With apologies to Horse, this should be renamed their “OOPS” campaign. Shoot first, don’t even think of the consequences.
Maybe just maybe, this lack-of-thinking move made Madigan’s hand even stronger. Despite the rhetoric, it definitely doesn’t make him any weaker.
Comment by Suburbanon Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 2:59 pm
Yes, children running GOP state communications.
This will help resolve issues.
Comment by Austin Blvd Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:05 pm
As many have said, the Rauner folks may OODA loop themselves into flaming their own fanny once the GOP votes for taxes.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:07 pm
Just wait until the Illinois taxpayer gets hit with a effective 8% to 10% rate between the income tax at, say 4.5%, plus the 6.25% on services plus some tax on retirement income… they’ll be wishing they had Madigan’s 5% rate.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:10 pm
Weak…..I know a couple of 14 year old kids that could do better.
Comment by Tumbleweed lines Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:12 pm
taxhikemike as a ring to it. Might move a couple hundred votes, not already decided.
Comment by walker Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:22 pm
Another scenario to contemplate: don’t take it for granted that just because the governor has talked about raising revenue means that he’ll actually do it. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be six months with no budget. The idea that rationality holds sway in our current politics is to be seriously questioned.
To quote the great Alfred Pennyworth: “Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
Comment by Willie Stark Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:25 pm
How does this ad hurt Madigan or other Dems in a Primary? I suppose Rauner will be asking Republicans to vote for Jason G. in the Primary and then try to tee up a Republican against Madigan in the Fall.
Playing this kind of hardball politics will make it very, very difficult for Rauner to govern unless he wins it all in March or November.
Even if Madigan’s numbers slip a bit in his District, he will have an gigantic field operation and a limitless war chest for a State House primary race. I understand he may also have some personal resources to let loose at the right moment (or just to repay some other funds to keep the spending caps intact).
The opposition research in this race will be interesting to watch. As more large donations role in for Jason G., the more issues are likely to pop up. If the Repubs violate the law while doing their loop de loops, watch out.
Given current candidate recruitment efforts by ILGO and the GOP, I just don’t see a path for Rauner beating Madigan or eliminating his majority in the House. Can someone please let me know if I’m wrong?
If you agree with me, why the hell would Rauner pick another fight he cannot win? He seems like a spoiled kid with a new toy who won’t be satisfied until he’s played with it so hard that it is completely broken. The said thing is that the State of Illinois is now his toy…
Comment by Tempo Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:31 pm
Tempo: you’re on to something with your spoiled kid with a toy analogy. And, so, from Alfred Pennyworth to a line from the Great Gatsby which summarizes our current times and the governor very well:
“I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”
Comment by Willie Stark Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:39 pm
- Tempo -
This is all about making Madigan spend any dollar over $100.00 in his own district and forcing a tier of his own 13th Ward Crew to stay home and work the 22nd.
That’s it.
Rauner has $35 million… on hand.
Not committed. Not promised. Parked.
If Rauner, come April, has $28-30 million still parked, and at the same time drained Madigan, Cullerton, and Union PACs, the damage could be devastating, and the time wasted raising $250K at a pop will be dwarfed with Rauner dark money in his two PACs.
It’s going to be won, for Democrats, Unions, and social services in the precincts, the group games.
Madigan and Cullerton will be swamped in the amount of money in the pot Rauner already has, let alone what is coming later.
That’s all Gonzalez is; a leaky faucet… draing a bank account.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 3:40 pm
#balanced budget Bruce
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:01 pm
Just as I expected/feared when you heard the Radogno/Durkin soundbites over the last several months. The GOP in this state thinks it has an opening to Grover Norquist pledge their way into legislative power. So we’ll never have a budget this election cycle until they get to test thid theory out.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:04 pm
This is lame. It is like Quinnochio lame. Both of those efforts made a mockery of the facts attempted to make mockeries of their caricatured targets. As the good Senator said above, “For the people who like that kind of thing, that’s the kind of thing they’ll like.”
Frat boys being fratty,
Comment by Henry Francis Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:08 pm
Oh, Bruce, you really ARE an old rascal.
Comment by Dome Gnome Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:14 pm
This ad is more effective not on the Tax Mike angle because as others have stated they are going up regardless.
It is effective as a commentary on the hilarity of joking about raising taxes on the middle class families before a room full of political and business insiders.
On the one hand he is supposedly the great defender of the middle class who work for the government and on the other a man who believes taxes should be raised on everyone- poor, middle class and wealthy. All the while joking about how this won’t cause any pain to anyone.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:34 pm
==Madigan and Cullerton will be swamped in the amount of money in the pot Rauner already has, let alone what is coming later.==
I’m not so sure that Rauner’s money will be very decisive if the State is in chaos under Rauner’s leadership. CPS will likely shut down right after the Primary and Higher Ed could be bouncing checks as well in the Spring. Suburban and downstate K-12 Public Schools need to open before the General Election. If these 3 items are all in chaos (plus, whatever chaos erupts as a result of the lack of a budget) the Governor’s numbers will be in the toilet.
I think the Governor is underestimating Madigan’s willingness to use brinkmanship in governing to win in politics. The problem for Rauner is that it’s a lot simpler to see his connection to the mess that it is to see Madigan’s connection (especially when you’ve said he’s called for a tax hike which would solve the shut down issues). When the bipartisan brinksmanship starts halting essential services for middle class and upper middle class voters, Republicans will be punished for not leading.
Comment by Tempo Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:37 pm
===he State is in chaos under Rauner’s leadership. CPS will likely shut down right after the Primary and Higher Ed could be bouncing checks as well in the Spring.===
Nope.
The earliest CTU can strike is late May and the final paychecks, leaving them on the table isn’t what a union is about. The school year will end without a strike, and further, right now, today, it’s really about just adding heat to Rahm much more than a strike.
The Universities will probably, more than likely, be open thru May as well. Not the way to run a railroad, but it’s probably more about next tear FY2016 bills getting paid, and what levels Rauber will fund Higher Ed. So, no.
===I think the Governor is underestimating Madigan’s willingness to use brinkmanship in governing to win in politics. The problem for Rauner is that it’s a lot simpler to see his connection to the mess …===
Il stop ya right there;
Governors own, they always do.
Jim Edgar warned Rauner. Rauner won, in part, blaming Quinn, even for things (bond downgrades) Rauner said are things governors own.
It’s not my rule. Same as it ever was.
However, $35 million helps dull the ownership…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:46 pm
Agreed, Tempo. I don’t see the Dems taking the same approach for FY17 WRT K-12 funding as they did this year.
Comment by Pawn Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:46 pm
And the people of Illinois are so ignorant, they elect his daughter to office as well. smh.
Comment by Captain Obvious Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 4:59 pm
People vote not money!
Comment by Democrat Man Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 5:11 pm
#TaxMillonairesMike
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 5:26 pm
Oswego - If the CPS follows through on its layoffs, the system will be a mess and teachers will want to strike. This will occur before the Primary without a budget deal.
Why do you say that May is the earliest they can strike. I think their 105 days of “fact finding” end in late March. I’ve always thought that they are timing their strike to help Madigan…
Comment by Tempo Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 5:42 pm
- Tempo -
Read;
https://capitolfax.com/2015/12/14/todays-number-965-percent-of-92-percent/
The rest of your comment to timing is moot.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 5:46 pm
I prefer #unbalancedBruce … while not as alliterative, it plays well on a couple of levels.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 6:06 pm
Hang in there, Speaker.
Comment by Neveranonymous Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 6:52 pm
To those saying it is unwise for the Republicans to criticize the Speaker for a tax hike when they know that eventually they’ll have to support a tax hike themselves, then please explain to us how that is unwise, but yet the Speaker can still criticize the Governor for his budget cuts.
Comment by Just Me Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 7:01 pm
Just me: have you been paying attention at all since 2009? the Dems — THE DEMS — have cut and cut and cut since then. They have worn the shirt for all of those cuts. They have grappled with the budget and owned the cuts for years, and they took the responsibility to raise revenue also. We haven’t seen Rauner do ANY of those things. And I say this as someone who has been tremendously unhappy with the Dems for all of their cuts.
Comment by Pawn Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 7:12 pm
Well, Bruce and the GOP knocked off Quinn, who was honest about the need to continue with the same tax rates.
We really do not know Rainer’s end game. And he has no clue what it is either.
Thus far, though, shakin’ up Spfld means decimating Illinois’ institutions.
Comment by Austin Blvd Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 7:30 pm
My Aunt lives in the 13th Ward. Jason Gonzales, 22nd Dist. Dem challenger was at her door to get a petition signed. She didn’t sign but she remarked about how good looking he was and his hair! Not sure how that translates into votes.
Comment by anon Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 9:12 pm
Pawn — every House Democrat and the Speaker have been extremely critical of Rauner’s cuts, they act like there are no more cuts that can possibly be made. That isn’t true and more cuts are coming, and they know that just like Rauner and the Republicans know some sort of revenue is also needed.
Comment by Just Me Monday, Dec 14, 15 @ 10:02 pm
Just me. Please share: what further cuts are coming? Be specific and don’t bother us with chickenscratch cuts. Name specific SIGNIFICANT cuts, cuts that address the fiscal imbalance by, say, 10% or more. And then tell us why you think they are sustainable.
Comment by History Prof Tuesday, Dec 15, 15 @ 8:23 am
Hang in there Governor, you are on the right track and have been since the campaign. No more Taxes without necessary balancing cuts. Just perhaps the Speaker has overused his vaunted power this time.
Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Dec 15, 15 @ 8:53 am