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[House Speaker Michael Madigan’s millionaire tax surcharge] failed 68-47, after Madigan could not gather his 71 Democratic members needed to approve the legislation. Still, the move allows his loyal Democrats to send out campaign mailers saying they supported taxing the rich. Indeed, just minutes after the vote, Madigan’s office sent out a press release declaring “Illinois residents again ignored by House Republicans.”

[CTU President Karen Lewis], after her speech, praised Madigan, saying he is “somebody that’s trying to get things done.”

“But not ideological, and not stuck in the mud,” Lewis said. “Not ideological at all.”

Madigan assumes ideological postures as events fit. So, a few years ago, he stood with Bruce Rauner and others to ram through education reforms. His campaign committee was boycotted at one point by AFSCME, the IFT (to which CTU belongs) and the IEA. And now, with union leaders lining up at his door begging for help, he’s Walter Reuther.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 9:49 am

Comments

Everything is relative. Hey, I’m on the Disney Dream by the way, and out of the country…I’m concerned they may not let me back in. Can Bruce help?

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 9:58 am
Well said. Madigan is a chameleon. He’ll change colors as circumstances dictate. No ideology. No principles, except power.

Comment by Chicago Taxpayer Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 9:59 am
Hey Tone, thanks for the cruise fare!

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:00 am
So, since Madigan has had disagreements with labor in the past, it somehow invalidates working with them now?

You’re spending too much time listening to the Raunerbot logic.

Comment by Daniel Plainview Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:00 am
Thank goodness he’s using all his power to synchronize legislative votes with coordinated campaign activity instead of working toward solutions for our state to gain financial stability and a better climate for job growth.

I’m glad Madigan is working on the important things of keeping and gaining power instead of actually fixing the mess that he helped create.

Comment by Ahoy! Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:04 am
Karen Lewis is a hyper-partisan true believer.

Michael J. Madigan is a political pragmatist and architect of legislative goals through understanding process.

Karen Lewis is the type today to tout Madigan and in 2 years call him names unsuitable for the blog, because her view through her prism says its so.

Madigan just looks at the field, weighs the odds, and moves on from people like Karen Lewis if the politics demand it.

“Simple”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:07 am
Madigan is “posturing” but no mention of any of this:

“Rep. Ed Sullivan, R-Mundelein, said the proposed amendment could result in a double whammy on high earners in the state. Democrats are pushing a graduated income tax plan that, coupled with Madigan’s surtax, would push the income tax rate on millionaires to 12.7 percent. That graduated tax plan requires a change in the state Constitution.

Sullivan said a rate that high would be “borderline obscene on the people who create jobs. We’re putting out the projection that we don’t want you here.”

“This will kill jobs in the state of Illinois,” added Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills.

Other Republicans predicted a mass exit of millionaires who would seek states with lower income tax rates. Democrats said those concerns were overblown because low tax rates aren’t the only reason people choose where to live. Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said the state of California has a top income tax rate of 13 percent.” (http://www.sj-r.com/news/20160420/proposed-millionaire-tax-amendment-fails-in-illinois-house?rssfeed=true)

Or are those “facts”?

Comment by Blue Bayou Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:07 am
===So, since Madigan has had disagreements with labor in the past, it somehow invalidates working with them now?===

Not in the least. What he’s doing is valid and even somewhat justifiable, considering the climate.

Lewis seems to get that. So, I was actually agreeing with her.

Sheesh, some of you folks will use a microscope to find your victimhood.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:11 am
I agree, Rich. I agree. Sheesh.

Comment by Ms. SHEESH Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:14 am
yep been saying a variant of this for a while. Rauner could have had madigan as an almy in less severe labor reforms. the unions refused to support Madigan after the pensions reform and the law that pulled a small portion of supervisors out of the union. instead rauners extrereme vendetta against the union has driven madigan and labor back together after their trial seperation.

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:18 am
Calling votes that can’t even get approved by all the members of his own party is not getting things done Ms Lewis. (Insert John Wooden quote here)

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:18 am
With Rauner acting the way he is against unions, how did you expect them to act? Rauner really gives unions no choice but to align themselves with Madigan no matter what happened in the past.

Comment by sparky791 Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:25 am
===Calling votes that can’t even get approved by all the members of his own party is not getting things done Ms Lewis.===

“Who” voted agaist it?

Dunkin, Franks, Drury. Surprised? No. “Why?”?

It was never suppose to pass, the numbers were never there.

Please, stop pretending to be ignorant to the votes intent, which was not passage.

It has to get tiring trying to pretend you are unaware and inserting a warped logic to try to prove your ignorance…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:35 am
Some if not many union members who feared and loathed Madigan in the past, when he was passing illegal pension reform, are glad to have his support now. It took a Rauner to do that.

I think it’s time to put a millionaire surcharge or a fair tax on the ballot. Lots of voters supported it. Because Republicans have unanimously opposed it, to me it has to be used as a political weapon.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:36 am
@ahoy:

Not sure what job growth your talking about.

Maybe Bruce can support the Lucas Museum on the lake complete with $8/hr job selling C3PO trinkets in the gift shoppe.

Comment by Jack Stephens Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:37 am
–Sullivan said a rate that high would be “borderline obscene on the people who create jobs. We’re putting out the projection that we don’t want you here.”

“This will kill jobs in the state of Illinois,” added Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills.–

Consumers and business customers create jobs. If they’re not buying, you’re not selling and “creating jobs” is impossible.

The folks at Lutheran Services, Catholic Charities and the universities who have lost their jobs due to the Illinois GOPs allegedly “pro-business” agenda, they used to be job creators with the money they spent.

Same goes for all those state vendors who are waiting to get paid by the state for goods and services already rendered. When they ain’t getting paid, they ain’t spending and creating jobs.

Are you worried about guys like Griff? He’s spending $200 million on a condo in high-tax Manhattan. How many jobs is that going to create in Illinois?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:39 am
Madigan is the arch-typical American, if we adopt Winston Churchill’s conception of “Americans will do the right thing, after they’ve tried everything else.”

The problem is that the IL Constitution puts an additional penalty on all of Madigan’s past errors and irresponsible manuevers. Waiting until the last minute to try and fix the state’s fiscal problems, runs into the brick wall of the Pension Clause, and makes last-minute patch jobs way more painful and difficult.

Comment by ZC Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:41 am
LP “Calling votes that can’t even get approved by all the members of his own party is not getting things done…”

It most certainly is getting things done. By calling his constitutional amendment, Madigan is getting Republicans to, on the record, side with mega-millionaires and establishment Republicans against regular folks, many of whom are Trump blue collar Republicans already pissed off about the utter lack of good K-12 education options for their kids. Because vast majority of both Democratic and Republican voters are likely to be angered by a “no” vote on the millionaire’s tax, it is a very good way to increase the number of sensible legislators in the House willing to vote to improve their constituents education options by imposing a small tax on folks making more than $750,000 in one, single year. You simply have to adjust your time frame from May 2016 to November 2016 and you will clearly see how Madigan will get things done in 2016.

Comment by Anonigan Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:48 am
“I’m glad Madigan is working on the important things of keeping and gaining power. . .

Actually that generally consisted of giving the people of Illinois what they wanted. Perhaps “We the People” should accept some of the blame for everything instead of pretending we had nothing to do with it.

Comment by Bigtwich Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:53 am
ZC never heard the Churchill quote before- like it. The problem in the House is that the Democrats depend on Madigan to eventually follow that policy. They (and a lot of other people) don’t think that Rauner will.
Whether Madigan expected this bill to pass or not doesn’t matter.
What Does matter is that the Repubs are so afraid of Rauner that they didn’t support it: and they will pay….

Comment by downstate commissioner Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:57 am
Willy’s post at 10:07 sums up these two characters perfectly. Well said.

Comment by Robert the 1st Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 11:02 am
The new graduated income tax amendment is also doomed to come up short. I don’t blame the Speaker, however, since the majority of his caucus will vote for it, while none of Durkin’s caucus will.

Comment by anon Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 11:26 am
“Actually that generally consisted of giving the people of Illinois what they wanted. Perhaps “We the People” should accept some of the blame for everything instead of pretending we had nothing to do with it. ”

“We the People” want everything, and the Illinois Legislators keep giving them everything.

Comment by Jack Lightning Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 11:47 am
==Calling votes that can’t even get approved by all the members of his own party is not getting things done==

Lol. You do realize that Rauner has demanded the GA do exactly that with his anti union agenda.

Comment by Abe the Babe Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 11:48 am
Advisory referendums don’t pass laws, legislators do. The only reason there was an advisory referendum in the first place was for political cover for those that want a tax increase, and and tax increase it will be. Those higher rates for “the rich” will slowly work their way down the income bracket until most of us are paying higher taxes.

Comment by Hick Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 11:57 am
Look, folks, these legislators are doing what their constituents elected them to do. Republicans were elected to oppose tax increases and decrease spending by the rank and file, but of course the public construction and education lobbies that throw cash into them are another story. Same goes for Franks. This is just grandstanding by Madigan. You don’t bring up a vote for which you don’t have the votes unless it’s symbolic and just for show.

Hocus pocus dominocus…welcome to Springfield!

Comment by Zonker Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 12:18 pm
===You don’t bring up a vote for which you don’t have the votes unless it’s symbolic and just for show.===

Show where people stand come November…

===Republicans were elected to oppose tax increases and decrease spending by the rank and file…===

… and destroy Higher Ed and Social Services?

“Look” (LOL), votes matter. Raunerites will face “vote accordingly” with your logic. Some will make it, others may not.

=== …the public construction and education lobbies that throw cash into them are another story===

You mean anti-Union and RTW proponents “arch enemies”

“Look”, (LOL) if Rauner can’t count to 60 and 30 but demands anti-Union legislation or things will close, welp, let’s run some votes so voters can “vote accordingly”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 12:26 pm
What’s also ironic and Republicans forget or refuse to acknowledge is that Rauner used his financial resources and that education reform committee to help Madigan maintain his majority back during the 2010 campaign season. Just saying…

Comment by Just saying... Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 12:59 pm
You know one has nothing to do with the other, right OW ? The budget impasse and the “progressive”tax are two separate issues. The former is destroying higher Ed and social services, the latter is a license to raise taxes on everyone.

Comment by Hick Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 12:59 pm
===You know one has nothing to do with the other, right OW ?===

Like term limits has nothing to do with the budget?

Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you to catch up…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 1:03 pm
the latter is a license to raise taxes on everyone.

umm…no. My taxes will probably go down.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 1:22 pm
For now they will HB, and for me too, but its foolish to think they will stay that way.

Comment by Hick Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 1:27 pm
A little off-topic aren’t we OW ? This one is about Madigan’s soak the rich scheme and his special brand of gotcha politics, not your vendetta against Rauner. Madigan pulled the same stunt during the CCW debate by calling a vote on every amendment to a bill that was eventually scrapped - all that wasted time, effort, and money for a little campaign fodder. Its these antics that turn people off to “establishment” policicians on both sides and bring about upstarts like Rauner and Trump on the right and Sanders on the left. And saying “well, that’s just politics” isn’t good enough any more, because people can use the internet to get a view into politics that they never had before, and we don’t like what we see.

Comment by Hick Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 1:56 pm
===A little off-topic aren’t we OW ?===

No.

===This one is about Madigan’s soak the rich scheme and his special brand of gotcha politics, not your vendetta against Rauner.===

It’s not mutually exclusive.

You do understand that, if you want to believe the former, but riddle me this, knowing he didbt have 71, why run it?

Put a think on that.

=== Madigan pulled the same stunt during the CCW debate by calling a vote on every amendment to a bill that was eventually scrapped - all that wasted time, effort, and money for a little campaign fodder.===

It’s only a waste of time if you keep voting against your constituents or polling due to political pressure.

===And saying “well, that’s just politics” isn’t good enough any more, because people can use the internet to get a view into politics that they never had before, and we don’t like what we see.===

McCann won, Dunkin lost… so you take a think and reconcile that, lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 2:06 pm
–Madigan pulled the same stunt during the CCW debate by calling a vote on every amendment to a bill that was eventually scrapped - all that wasted time, effort, and money for a little campaign fodder.–

Are you referring to conceal-carry?

How do you think that bill — which far exceeded minimal Heller/McDonald requirements — got passed with a veto-proof majority?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 2:13 pm
Funny thing is, if the Republicans who accuse Speaker Madigan of “posturing” with this resolution really wanted to stick it to him, then only 3 had to be smart enough to vote “yes.” Hell, 3 Madigan called out as representatives from districts who voted in favor of the millionaire tax could have voted as their constituents indicated was their wish.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 2:46 pm
You can ask Senator Lightford or the education stakeholders there. SB7 was an agreed to bill the night it was negotiated. And it’s safe to say Rauner wasn’t one of the people that felt “agreed to” about that bill. He and Madigan were far from hand in hand on the issues.

I agree with your premise though. Madigan has changed in reaction to the current situation.

Comment by Mike Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 5:44 pm