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* As the Sun-Times noted at the time, the Senate’s graduated income tax debate was shorter than “Stairway to Heaven.” The House’s debate was almost the length of Andy Warhol’s “Sleep” movie. Let’s start with the Sun-Times…
The amendment’s sponsor, state Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, called the state’s current system “a very unfair tax system.” He countered opponents’ claims about Illinoisans and businesses leaving the state: “This is reform. This is an opportunity to fix the problems of Illinois.”
“The fair tax, if approved by the voters, if they choose this tax reform, this path forward for Illinois, we will be in a position where we can eliminate those deficits,” Martwick said. “And when we eliminate those deficits, we stop accumulating debts and we begin to pay them down. And when we pay down those debts we relieve the pressure for future tax increases.”
All 44 House Republicans put their lights on to speak during a lengthy debate on the floor on Monday afternoon, which began about 1 p.m and lasted until 4:30 p.m. The debate was much, much longer than the Senate debate — which clocked in at seven minutes. […]
“Please think about how repeating the same foolish tax-and-spend policies will not change anything about our future,” state Rep. Margo McDermed, R-Mokena, said. “We need to address the underlying drivers and we need to get our financial house in order, and this amendment does none of those things.”
I think some Republicans spoke for the very first time yesterday. I’ve never seen anything like it.
* It just went on and on and on…
During a three-hour Memorial Day debate in the House, state Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, said the progressive income tax will be more equitable than the existing 4.95 percent flat income tax by reducing tax rates for 97 percent of taxpayers.
“Folks, I wish we would have been taxing at a higher rate,” Ramirez said. “I wish we would have been able to go to $1 million and [tax them at] 10 percent. We’re not there. We’re at 7.95 percent.” […]
State Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said the proposal would lower taxes for the working poor by less than $7 a year, not enough to buy a sandwich at a restaurant. For those making less than $100,000, Chesney said they’d save less than $38.
“That’s a heck of a negotiation, but the $37.38 will be erased when the Democratic majority passes the gas tax,” Chesney said.
* And on…
“The Democrats of Illinois have an insatiable taste for spending,” said Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield.
“I carry a simple message from southeast Illinois. We don’t trust you with our money,” said Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia.
“This is more of the same, taxes, taxes and more taxes,” said Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills. “This bill will kill jobs and drive more people out of the state.” […]
Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, said Illinois already has a fair tax in the flat tax system.
“It impacts everyone equally,” he said.
* More…
Republican Rep. Margo McDermed of Mokena called the rates proposal awaiting a House vote “teaser rates, fake rates, lying rates.”
“If you think that this doesn’t hit you, you’re wrong,” McDermed warned middle-class taxpayers.
Rep. Avery Bourne, a Republican from downstate Raymond, added, “There simply aren’t enough rich people in this state to pay for the insatiable appetite of spending that we see here in Springfield.” […]
“We put too much of the burden of funding our government on the backs of the people who can least afford to pay it,” said Rep. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat who sponsored the proposed amendment.
* More…
“We’ve made year-after-year cuts to budgets like DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services), and now you have children dying because you have case workers that are overburdened and underpaid,” Rep. Rob Martwick, a Chicago Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, said. “So what are the solutions to these problems? The solutions are to eliminate our deficits, eliminate that structural deficit. When you do that, you start to right the ship. You can fund education, you can pay down debts.”
The options to do so, Martwick said, were to raise the state’s flat tax from 4.95 percent to 6.5 percent or higher, or to raise the $3.5 billion anticipated to come from the graduated rates.
Republicans said the bill more likely provided incentive for the state’s wealthiest taxpayers and job creators to leave, and warned that no matter what rates are approved by this Legislature, they can be raised in the future.
“The graduated tax will give Springfield the ability to raise taxes on whoever they want by manipulating rates and brackets,” Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst, a Kankakee Republican, said. “The result will be an increase on the middle class. We cannot trust Springfield with any more of our money without real structural reforms to our state government and our political system.”
* And…
“Every time we turn around, an oppressive government sits like a vulture on a high line, ready to take more money out of your pocket. The American dream has become the American nightmare,” Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, said.
Miller, a farmer, said promoting a graduated tax as “fair” is akin to putting “lipstick on a pig.”
“There couldn’t be anything more unfair,” Miller said, given that it will take “$3.4 billion from responsible citizens’ hands and puts it in the hands of irresponsible bureaucrats.” […]
Various GOP legislators say that Democrats’ focus is on taxes is a sign of their “insatiable” spending habits.
“I am willing, and in fact proud to stand here and say that I believe in government spending. I believe in government spending on food for the hungry, on shelter for the homeless, and on health care for the sick, on education for our children,” said state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago. “I don’t think that’s a spending problem. I think that is our job. That is the job of government.”
One point I didn’t see mentioned anywhere was the indignation by some Republicans when the Democrats chided them for wanting to spend government money without voting to pay for the programs.
* Biggest applause line on the Dem side…
Frosh Rep Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) suggests the Repubs have been "plagiarizing" in their comments. "Am I in the IL House or listening to an @illinoispolicy podcast?"
Says dark money has popularizing buzzwords like “blank check”
“Blank check doesn’t make any damn sense”— Hannah Meisel (@hannahmeisel) May 27, 2019
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:34 am
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Previous Post: Property taxes again take the forefront, to be folded into the rates bill
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Plainfield grabbed over $6M from its school district and shifted it to the village budget, because the village can’t manage its money.
Batinick representing plainfield is a comedy show at this point.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:40 am
With Rauner gone, the only sure GOP Sugar Daddy out there is Uiehlein.
And he likes to spend his money primarying GOP incumbents he considers apostates.
Yesterday, he got a “harrumph-harrumph” from every GOP House member trying to hold on to their phoney-baloney jobs. It’s just self-preservation.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:41 am
–“I carry a simple message from southeast Illinois. We don’t trust you with our money,” said Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia.–
I guess Bailey hasn’t gotten the word on who’s paying the freight in his neck of the woods.
Shouldn’t he be drafting up a Constitution and tax system for his new state? Can’t find the Box of 64 or something?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:49 am
It makes perfect sense. Put a graduated income tax on the books and write Springfield a blank check to raise taxes year after year, session after session.
Simple.
Comment by Josh Lyman Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:51 am
The Raunerites so willing to passively close state universities, done in their own districts…
The utter phony those downstate members are to *anything* resembling a want to help this state.
That’s as real and raw and plain as I can make it.
Even the Perfect 10 and the Brave 15 still “around”… y’all are as phony as before… before you saved Illinois from Rau we.
It’s embarrassing, really, that the GOP GA is now a party beholden to a bunch of rich folks who decide if they’re happy enough they’ll fund the apparatus.
The premise of good governing for the sake of party and the state is usurped by the threatened tantrums the finders might have.
Oh, let’s not be “but if it weren’t for… “
Yeah, about that… it was ALL 44 that were Red.
Thoughtful? Nope. You could just as easily get anyone as ridiculous as Mr. Wehrli of Mr. Skillicorn to replace “all” these thoughtful folks that voted the way of the ridiculous ones.
There are no members even concerned in a selfish way for their districts anymore… that’s a scary thought.
The angry, white, old… mostly rural… that’s the minority party’s sweet spot… alienating suburban moderate women, non-white, younger voters.
You can be against the progressive taxing or however they feel they want to frame the other side… but the things we use to have in policy that was an open tent of ideas, now it’s “one think” that is forced by holding checkbooks over the heads of the lemmings.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:54 am
– write Springfield a blank check to raise taxes year after year, session after session.–
I wonder what that means. Has there been some change to Constitutional process of enacting legislation?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:54 am
===It makes perfect sense. Put a graduated income tax on the books and write Springfield a blank check to raise taxes year after year, session after session.
Simple.===
… and yet, the last tax raising vote… was to let a higher tax sunset.
“Simple”, LOL
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:55 am
Angry old and white?
Says the “republican” about the party lead by Mike Madigan and John Cullerton, who have been in Springfield since the 1970’s?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:57 am
– write Springfield a blank check to raise taxes year after year, session after session.–
This is the sort of sentence a machine learning algorithm would produce if given a corpus of all bad-faith GOP arguments from the last decade - a string of nonsense that nonetheless probably polls well.
Comment by ChicagoVinny Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:58 am
It’s great every House Republican spoke.
Makes it a lot easier to point out that every one of them sold out to millionaires and corporate interests rather than protect working families and local institutions that are the economy of their communities.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:59 am
To address obesity, Tim Butler plans on telling family members to drop 5% of their body weight because “it (will) impact everyone equally.”
BTW - I missed hearing the specifics of the HGOP counter proposal.
Comment by Jocko Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 9:59 am
Sleight of hand, remember when Blago froze tuition for incoming college freshman, then increased the cost of tuition about 8% each year, plus fees increased, dorm cost, food cost, etc.
With increased fees and ever increasing real estate taxes, the average taxpayers will see less money in their pockets, which will all know impacts the economy.
Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:03 am
===Says the “republican” about the party lead by Mike Madigan and John Cullerton, who have been in Springfield since the 1970’s?===
What?
Raunerites now masquerading around are looking for that “51st State”, away from “She-Caw-Go”, and have fewer seats now then 2014…
That shrinking is happening.
Pretty soon, it’ll be so monolithic, it won’t matter which angry, white, rural member talks, 44 or not.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:05 am
“write Springfield a blank check to raise taxes year after year” Ok then, name $3B in spending cuts…and Go.
Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:09 am
We shall see. GOP and conservative voters will be fired up with one priority - defeat the CA. Dems have super majority, constitutional officers, and a lock on IL Electoral college votes. Complacency may lead to reduced turn out and/or
under votes on the CA. Tough to get that 60% Yes vote or 50% plus one of Yes votes among all ballots.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:09 am
===GOP and conservative voters will be fired up with one priority - defeat the CA===
Here’s your quandary: Fire up the base and you could wind up helping push the percentage of voters who participate on this question to over half. If you do that, then final passage only requires 50 percent plus one.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:13 am
===Tough to get that 60%===
This is the whole ball game now.
Can the governor and supporters of the CA get that threshold?
Not a slam dunk.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:13 am
===Here’s your quandary: Fire up the base and you could wind up helping push the percentage of voters who participation on this question to over half. If you do that, then final passage only requires 50 percent plus one.===
I forgot about that provision, are others forgetting too?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:14 am
I doubt there are any “Raunerites.” These are just Republicans fleecing the people who need to blame their problems on The Other.
Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:14 am
==Complacency may lead to reduced turn out==
If you’re banking on low voter turn out in November 2020, I have news for you.
Comment by Jocko Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:17 am
Jocko is exactly right.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:18 am
Also worth noting that the GOP opposed this measure which would have put it to a voter referendum. There is no guarantee that this will pass in 2020 and we can all expect strong campaigns both for and against.
But that is also textbook for Republicans - they do not want the people voting because when people vote, republicans lose power.
Comment by ThinkingOutLoud Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:18 am
I think the term “Raunerites” is now a term not necessarily linked to Bruce Rauner, but…
…members linked to the money it means when they vote *for* monies it will mean to their “party”… and not thinking about the state or their district in the rationale.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:18 am
Since everyone is now talking about taxes and spending. Why not let the voters decide on pension reform? Who’s scared of voters having a say on the subject.. you know kind of like the progressive income tax.
Comment by Steve Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:21 am
To me, the highlight was Will Davis (who I genuinely find to be a decent guy) suggesting that his side does the hard work voting to raise taxes. He went on to suggest that maybe they shouldn’t spend the money in the districts where they vote not to.
That’s a bit rich. Where does he think the money comes from after the tax is raised? It’s not voluntary. Geesh.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:21 am
===Since everyone is now talking about taxes and spending. Why not let the voters decide on pension reform? Who’s scared of voters having a say on the subject.. you know kind of like the progressive income tax.===
Not exactly comparing apples to apples, are we?
Comment by historic66 Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:25 am
I do question the thinking behind many of the downstate GOP electeds. The money is in Chicago, a graduated income tax will tax that money. That tax money will then be spend, disproportionally, downstate–schools, pensions, services. So a vote against the graduated income tax, is a vote for cuts to education, pensions, and services for downstate Illinois.
Specifically, I would love to hear how Reps. Halbrook, Chris Miller, Bailey, Caulkins, Davidsmeyer, McCombie, Wilhour and Frese plan to pay for their constituents education and pensions and services without Chicagoland and all of its tax money?
Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:33 am
Jocko wins the day.
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:36 am
===Tough to get that 60%===
Taxing rich people is extremely popular no matter if you are a hard R or D.
Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:37 am
==Why not let the voters decide on pension reform? ==
You sure you’d like the outcome of that vote? Between the unions and the Eastern Bloc, I know who I’d put my money on.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:40 am
–Why not let the voters decide on pension reform?–
Please post your amendment language and what you expect it would accomplish.
You post this often. You have yet to put any meat on the bones.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:41 am
Guy, I wouldn’t presume to speak for Davis, but I think the point he was making was that the GOP always does the easy political thing with taxes: you cut them regardless of consequences. Then, when the bills come due and the state is collapsing, Democrats come to the rescue to raise the income tax in a fairer way to pay the bills (for spending that you want), and you guys still won’t vote for it.
Cutting taxes and voting against tax hikes don’t take a lot of courage or thought. They are politically popular but fiscally and morally bankrupt.
Just own it for once. You want the spending but you don’t want to pay for it because you are gutless cowards.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:45 am
Steve
What exactly would you like to see changed on the pensions
What would that vote look like
Comment by Nicky Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:48 am
ILGOP is 100% for the 3%
Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:50 am
I have 0 confidence Dems won’t just jack up rates in future. Still, progressive income tax a lot more fair than service tax Rauner ran on in ‘14. That’s a regressive tax. But most all these Rs gorged on Rauner cash. Hypocrites.
Comment by Just sayin' Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:51 am
Republicans have been using the old “tax-and-spend” line on Democrats for 50 years, but where do they think the money for corporate tax breaks, wars, and tax cuts for the rich come from?
Taxes on everybody else. Duh.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:51 am
Steve, put em’ on the stairs
Pritzker sure put them up there.
Minimum wage
Graduated Income tax referendum
He is owning you
so maybe instead of your feckless
rubberband shooting drive by
how about you do the hard work
of gathering votes for your idea
and put em’ on the stairs
for the photo shoot
How do you like all your winning Steve?
So much winning. S/
Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 10:58 am
…you cut them regardless of consequences. Then, when the bills come due and the state is collapsing, Democrats come to the rescue to raise the income tax
How do you explain the Trump tax cuts that produced a 1.5 billion dollar unexpected windfall for Springfield?
A thriving economy actually produces more tax revenue, unemployment goes down. as does spending on social services for abled bodied people, and competition for labor raises wages.
Are there ever any negative consequences to the ever rising tax burden in Illinois that is causing an exodus from Illinois?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 11:03 am
LP,
First, the Trump tax cuts benefitted corporations and the wealthy first and foremost. The “windfall” Illinois experienced was because average tax payers in states with high state/local taxes got screwed. See Roskam, Peter (former Congressman, R-Trump).
Second, the economy is operating on borrowed money. Eventually we’re going to have to repay the $1 trillion annual cost to the Treasury from these tax cuts. Add in all of the billions we are paying farmers to not sell crops to China, and maybe a shiny new war in the Middle East, and there’s no end in sight to GOP spending.
Lastly, there is no evidence that there is an exodus occurring in Illinois, much less that taxes are causing it.
You’re such a tired, monotonous cry baby. Man up LP. Be part of the solution.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 11:15 am
Miller, a farmer, has received around $800,000 in farm subsidies over the last several years - from an oppressive government with a graduated tax system.
Comment by Ash Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 11:18 am
Anti-tax right wingers are against widespread tax cuts. The hypocrisy is what this boils down to, the crying about high taxes then rejection of tax breaks for so many of us.
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 11:27 am
==Are there ever any negative consequences to the ever rising tax burden in Illinois that is causing an exodus from Illinois?==
Yes: the rest of us having to sift through though the thousands of comments posted by Rich, OW, wordslinger and demoralized reminding you again and again and again why your goofy ideas and straw man arguments don’t make any sense. After the 100th time seeing someone have to explain to you how property taxes work or why the state can’t just steal someone’s pension, it gets bloody exhausting.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 11:39 am
Nationally, tax cuts have helped unemployment fall to a 50 year low, GDP more than 3, record unemployment for women and Hispanics, a resurgence in manufacturing jobs and food stamp usage for about 38 million people versus about 47 million people in 2013.
Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 11:45 am
Just imagine, just a few more minutes of debate and they would have been able to defeat it.
They just ran out of members to give speeches…
Comment by Ok Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 11:46 am
It will come down to this: Ben Carson just gave non-citizen adults 18 months to move out of HUD subsidized housing that citizens are waiting to receive. Illinois needs to reduce the $3 Billion in services spent on foreigners living here.
Comment by Sarah196 Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 12:18 pm
–Nationally, tax cuts have helped …–
I guess you’d believe that if you’re a Bizarro Keynesian who believes in massive borrowing to stimulate an economy that was already growing. Traditional Keynesian economics is to pay down debt in a growing economy, like the Clinton years.
But weren’t you guy going off earlier on “think about the children?” Who do you think is going to pay those T-Bonds that are financing a doubling of the annual deficit?
http://fortune.com/2019/04/10/the-deficit-is-growing-far-faster-than-predicted/
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 12:21 pm
“Are there ever any negative consequences to the ever rising tax burden in Illinois that is causing an exodus from Illinois?”
That’s what a graduated income tax hopes to help remedy, to lower the tax burdens of those leaving the state while increasing the burdens of those who make the most money and per a study pay much lower SALT as percentages of their incomes.
In the last three decades, and including the 2011 income tax hike period, the incomes of the 1% skyrocketed in Illinois while median household income barely grew, according to a study and IRS data. Their population grew as well. Middle and lower income people can’t and shouldn’t continue to disproportionately carry the state’s financial burdens, especially when the wealthy are doing so much better than everyone else.
“Nationally, tax cuts have helped unemployment fall to a 50 year low”
Economic recovery started way before the recent tax cuts. There were 75 straight months of job growth under Obama, as well as a falling unemployment rate. And unlike Trump, he didn’t inherit a growing economy.
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 12:27 pm
Grandson,
You have forgotten that a thriving private sector is what pays for all of your government spending for your union.
They have many states they can invest in.
It would be nice if Democrats realized for once that Illinois is not an island and has to compete for jobs and capital
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 12:59 pm
–You have forgotten that a thriving private sector is what pays for all of your government spending for your union.
They have many states they can invest in.–
Yes, they do.
Illinois #3 in corporate expansions/relocations, Chicago Metro #1.
If Raunerbots had used their heads for more than a hatrack, they would have run on that.
https://siteselection.com/press/releases/181105.html
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 1:44 pm
“You have forgotten that a thriving private sector is what pays for all of your government spending for your union.”
The point is that the 1% has apparently thrived in Illinois, yet this group is taxed at the same rate as everyone else. Illinois has reportedly been great for this group. Bruce Rauner whacked unionized workers while earning $333 million in 2015-2017, not yet even counting 2018. His income increased greatly during his term.
Let that sink in a minute—someone making $333 million was slashing and waged a war against those who averaged five-figure salaries. Great for Democrats to unanimously understand this. The ILGOP cemented its reputation as protecting the rich at all costs with the graduated income tax vote.
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 2:38 pm
Read it and weep LP:
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R45736.html
So much winning.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 3:59 pm
==Just own it for once. You want the spending but you don’t want to pay for it because you are gutless cowards.==
No 47, I don’t necessarily want the spending, and I’m not against every attempt to raise revenue, especially new sources where we have a chance to make some gains.
I don’t think it’s a tough vote for a lot of people to raise taxes. Heck, there are some Reps who’ve voted for every single one. Depending on where you’re from, it could be a very easy vote.
But…to suggest that you tax everyone and maybe use the money you’ve just raised from them (despite their lack of support) as leverage against them? There are very few things I have a strong moral view against using my tax money for. It rises much higher than fixing a highway here or building a school there or luring a manufacturer somewhere else. My area of the state pays much more than most. I don’t resent it. They should. They have access to good jobs, transit, a lot of infrastructure, the best schools in the state, etc. The current tax structure ensures this area will always pay more. The just approved one will add even more to the burden.
Will D is a good guy, but own this 47, his courageous vote was to increase the taxes of my area far more than his. What was so brave about that?
Comment by A guy Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 4:06 pm
You were once one of Bruce Rauner’s loudest cheerleaders dude. Bruce “let the Quinncome tax sunset and strangle the state” Rauner. After two long years of supporting him, ILGOPs like Hammond, Phillips and Pritchard couldn’t sit on their hands any longer and they finally used them to vote aye for more revenue.
Many of them lost their seats because of that vote. Where was your courage as that was unfolding? Must have been hiding under your wallet.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 4:32 pm
Sounds like this was the Republicans displaying their “insatiable” appetite for hearing themselves make up excuses for voting against a tax cut for the middle class.
Comment by Anono Tuesday, May 28, 19 @ 7:03 pm
==Illinois needs to reduce the $3 Billion in services spent on foreigners living here.==
No it doesn’t. HB1/2 and Green card holders have every right to go to school and use the roads, and they pay their taxes too.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, May 29, 19 @ 9:24 am