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More promises, more vague revenue plans

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Illinois

* Circling back on this story from last week because I missed this bit the first time…

Speaking after the rally, Pritzker said that, if elected, getting an infrastructure bill that will address Illinois’ roads, bridges and waterways will be “critically important” for him during his first year in office.

The last comprehensive capital plan in Illinois, the $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! plan, was signed by then-Gov. Pat Quinn in 2009.

When asked how to cover the cost of a capital plan, Pritzker suggested possible revenue streams such as legalized sports betting, online sales tax and legalizing and taxing marijuana.

His official infrastructure plan only mentions bringing in more federal dollars.

Online sales tax money is already budgeted and sports betting won’t bring in huge state tax dollars.

He’s talked about taxing pot for a long time, but mainly for general revenue purposes, although he did seem to suggest once that it could be used for education funding.

Pritzker said in April that marijuana could be in the mix for a capital bill, along with his graduated income tax (which he still won’t detail).

I do not expect the man to produce a full state budget on his own. But he’s making a lot of promises and we don’t even have a coherent outline of how he’s gonna pay for them. I mean, even Bruce Rauner did that in 2014.

Pritzker is launching a new three-day tour of central and southern Illinois. Hopefully, he’ll get pressed on some of this stuff.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:48 pm

Comments

Well, it’s a lot more detailed than, “Shake up Springfield. Bring back Illinois.” Just sayin.

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:52 pm
===a lot more detailed than, “Shake up Springfield. Bring back Illinois.”===

Rauner put out a proposal that included revenue from a service tax. He was pretty vague about most stuff, but he still went further than Pritzker has to date.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:54 pm
Better than that, Pritzker promises that after we get that state infastructure without raising taxes, we will all get free unicorn rides.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:55 pm
What’s his main plan, “I’m not Rauner.” This is as bad as “Because Madigan.” Any thinking person could and should prepare and present to the voters a clear point by point plan for fixing this state. None really has and yet one of them will be governor. Good luck Illinois.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:57 pm
LOL. JB has already spent all the pot money before the bills even been written. This state may as well get high, because we are all gonna need something to get through the impending social experiment that will be a Pritzker Administration.

Comment by Saluki Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:58 pm
Honestly, what does a born billionaire know about balancing a budget. He’s got more loot than our entire state spends in a decade.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:01 pm
I tend to trust the candidate who has invested in growth of an incubator site, and not the candidate who made millions feeding off the carcasses of the businesses he “managed”.

Rauner may have had more of a plan in 2014, but he has proven he could not and would not work well with others to implement it. I’m not willing to hand him the “CEO” reins for another four years of “Madigan ate my homework”.

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:03 pm
I think JB is a fan of the Naked eyes…

You made me promises promises
Knowing I’d believe
Promises promises
You knew you’d never keep

Comment by Charry Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:07 pm
==He’s got more loot than our entire state spends in a decade.==

That’s just….. wrong

Comment by Zeep Bow Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:08 pm
Pritzker owes voters more than slogans. He’s in a very good position, because voters approve of a fair tax/millionaire surcharge and marijuana legalization. He needs to take advantage of this and come up with more specifics. Bruce opposes these things, especially paying a higher state income tax and not gouging workers, so it’s a great contrast to be presented to voters.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:08 pm
I never thought I’d look to ‘The Onion’ for an accurate headline until now.

Comment by People Over Parties Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:09 pm
Maybe JB should be governor as he appears to have cracked the code to spending the same dollar multiple times.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:09 pm
== I tend to trust the candidate who has invested in growth of an incubator site, and not the candidate who made millions feeding off the carcasses of the businesses he “managed”. ==

How about the candidate who’s had the headaches of trying to meet payroll without going bankrupt as part of his standard business plan?

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:10 pm
His graduated income tax won’t come until his 3rd year in office? That requires a constitutional amendment I believe?? So he can’t wait till that passes to fund a massive capital bill???

Comment by Wow Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:11 pm
What? Where was Rauner’s layout of his plan to force a 3 year budget impasse, explode the State’s debt, incur billions in late payments debt, destroy the social services network, destroy labor, force local school and government bankruptcy by pushing costs, destroy the state’s credit rating, and make Illinois the laughingstock of the country?

Realistic comparisons please…

Comment by El Conquistador Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:12 pm
Other people’s money, that is the sources of his revenue. Of course candidates don’t often get to the details until they are elected.

Comment by Texas Red Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:14 pm
The only way to fix the state is to fix our business environment, so more companies invest here and hire more people who will pay taxes.

Our anti business environment is the #1 reason we are losing population forecasts made long ago like the pensions and the Edgar ramp are not sustainable. No one though the Illinois economy would have such poor growth.

Seems pretty simple, too bad Democrats resist making any changes.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:16 pm
== I tend to trust the candidate who has invested in growth of an incubator site, and not the candidate who made millions feeding off the carcasses of the businesses he “managed”. ==

How about the candidate who’s had the headaches of trying to meet payroll without going bankrupt as part of his standard business plan?

I kind of wish we had a candidate for a major party with some government experience

Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:18 pm
===with some government experience ===

Rauner has had close to 4 years experience. So there ya go.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:20 pm
==I tend to trust the candidate who has invested in growth of an incubator site, and not the candidate who made millions feeding off the carcasses of the businesses he “managed”.==

True that, but still, the guy’s got no idea what a money crunch is. He’s so rich that in one of his mansions, he doesn’t even use a toilet. He might look like Fred Flintstone, but I bet all his vehicles have solid floors.

This guy’s a Democrat? Sheesh. I like my Democrats aware of the real world. We’re hurting - has he ever?

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:23 pm
===make Illinois the laughingstock of the country?===

You obviously weren’t here for the two decades prior.

Comment by People Over Parties Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:25 pm
===You obviously weren’t here for the two decades prior.===

Blago… Quinn… Jack Ryan… Alan Keys…

Amirite?

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:28 pm
Unsurprising amount of pearl-clutching today from the usual suspects over Pritzker and his spending plans. Thanks to the very incompetent Pat Quinn, you had your chance to install a level headed fiscal conservative as Governor. Instead y’all forced Bruce Rauner on the rest of us. Had you guys directed even a fraction of this level of concern about your boy 4 years ago during the republican primary, we’d likely have far fewer financial problems than we’re currently faced with.

While most of you continue to ignore the extra $12 billion of debt we’ll have to deal with thanks to your “fiscal conservative” Governor, the rest of us will be over here ignoring your newly acquired, holier-than-thou demands for specifics and voting for Pritzker or McCann instead.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:45 pm
Don’t blame me, I voted for Dillard.

I took one look into Rauner’s empty blue eyes and heard - crickets.

Today, that would be an improvement.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 3:54 pm
Pritzker should allow a south suburban casino to counter the one right across in Indiana. Maybe one in Chicago as well. Keep more of the money in Illinois.

Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 4:33 pm
Increase in gasoline tax will be one of JB plans. Income tax increases on the middle class, before a vote on a progressive income tax in 2 years. Higher property taxes and more middle class tax payers leaving the state and business and job losses. Not a pretty picture.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 4:45 pm
All those people who think JB is going to lower income taxes on the middle class are going to be so surprised.

And all those that think the millionaire tax solves all the state’s problems need to sharpen their pencils. The state does have a lot of millionaires, but it doesn’t have nearly as many households that make a million per year. And watch how that latter number decreases further once you try to penalize them. People that wealthy know how to manage their reported revenue.

Watch for that tax cut on the middle class, right after that flock of flying pigs lands on your front lawn.

Comment by SSL Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 5:10 pm
Lester Holt’s Mustache is spot on. While Illinois has had fiscal issues for some time they were never like this. Rauner’s business acumen was limited to bust out’s. And now our problems have been made exponentially worse.

Rauner’s best solution was welching on debt.

His efforts to privatize services have led to colossal over spending and failure. This guy couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. But the Illinois GOP fell for it because..wait for it..he had big bucks.

The one thing Pritzker offers is that Illinois will pay its’ bills. I will grant that he is vague on the deets, will he raise taxes on the high earners? He says that is what he will do. Other states have done that very thing and Minnesota is still there and thriving. So your pearl-clutching at the thought of revenue matching expenditures is for naught.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 5:19 pm
Illinois has been in the bottom 5 fiscal performing states going back well before Rauner, so the bit about it bring never like this is wrong. Don’t worry though, you’ll get your hero JB as governor. I doubt he’ll live up to your expectations though, but please do hang around so we can remind you of how wrong you were. Daily.

Comment by SSL Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 7:14 pm
During the primary debates, Pritzker started to say that you can get an effective graduated tax by raising the rate AND the personal exemption at the same time, Illinois income tax, like all Illinois taxes fall disproportionately on non-managerial workers. I won’t be crying if the “millionaire’s tax” becomes a tax increase on those with six figure incomes, i.e. twice the Illinois median wage. That would be a cut for nearly 80% of us. But since he is afraid to talk about it I fear that he will pull a Blago and do nothing about the major taxes and spend spend spend, pushing us deeper into the hole. Seriously considering voting for McCann. Wouldn’t vote for Rauner if you held a gun to my head.

Comment by Streamwood Retiree Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 7:15 pm
-What’s his main plan, “I’m not Rauner.” -

Works for me.

Comment by McLincoln Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 9:24 pm
==While Illinois has had fiscal issues for some time they were never like this.==

Sure they were. They were just better hidden.

==Minnesota is still there and thriving.==

Minnesota is thriving indeed. Remove federal sources from education funding (of which Illinois receives more) and Minnesota spends $1,500 less per pupil than Illinois. With 2 million PK-12 students here, that’s $3.5 billion. Imagine an extra $3.5B to spend on higher ed, social services, or infrastructure, all just by following thriving Minnesota’s lead.

After we do that, then we can tax retirement income like Minnesota. They do have one the most aggressive retirement income tax structures in the country. That will generate another $1.5 billion. Now Illinois has an extra $5 billion. Thriving indeed.

After that, then we can tinker with those progressive tax rates. That will generate even more revenue. The sky’s the limit.

So you’re right. Let’s go all-in on Minnesota.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 9:32 pm
CZ, In Minnesota, 11.5% of its pk-12 public School student population is low income. That’s versus 50% in Illinois. So, your “lower cost per pupil” figure is purposely misleading. In addition, Minnesota has the worst achievement gap between black and white students in the entire nation. So, we hardly want to emulate Minnesota and spend less per public school student.

As for your continued mantra of taxing Grandma and Grandpa, let’s make millionaires pay their fair share of taxes via a progressive tax structure first. Then if we want to consider taking money away from people on fixed incomes (don’t hold your breath there), we can talk.

Here’s an article about Minnesota’s soaring economy after Governor Dayton raised the top rate on high income individuals.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-gibson/mark-dayton-minnesota-economy_b_6737786.html

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 7:47 am
=So you’re right. Let’s go all-in on Minnesota.=

I have agreed with you in the past on retirement income taxation. No brainer except for our weak political leadership.

The rest? Well the narrative I was responding to was about increased taxation forcing high earners out. LP et al beat that drum constantly with no evidence.

Kansas, the low tax utopia, did not experience a wealth in-migration and Minnesota did not experience a wealth out-migration.

Minnesota is paying its bills and their economy is a midwestern growth leader.

Their demographics are not equivalent to Illinois as another poster pointed out, but they can serve as a revenue model and a “what can happen” if adequate revenue is attained.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 8:04 am
==How about the candidate who’s had the headaches of trying to meet payroll without going bankrupt as part of his standard business plan?==

Senator Brady isn’t running this year.

Comment by Whatever Thursday, Aug 23, 18 @ 8:37 am