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It’s a feature, not a bug

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Illinois

Lawmakers pay a political price when they raise everyone’s taxes, as happened in 2017 when resignations and voter backlash cleared out the General Assembly.

Giving the General Assembly a progressive income tax would be equivalent to handing them a blank check. They will be able to spend however much they want and selectively target different segments of the population for more taxes, reducing the number of angry taxpayers at any one time.

Emphasis added because, politically, that’s a main feature of this tax. Confining the anger to three percent of the population is more politically palpable than angering everyone. That’s why the top earners want to stop this from happening. I don’t blame them for guarding their own self-interest, but it is what it is.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 3:52 pm

Comments

Time for the tricklers to pay their fair share…I never thought it was warm rain…like they claimed.

Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:04 pm
It’s a Trojan Horse

Comment by DCA Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:08 pm
Yep.

Save the millionaires, amirite?

I do appreciate the IPI’s (gulp) honesty here.

It’s also honest it’s the feature, not the bug.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:21 pm
Another blatant anti-graduated income tax lie, just like it will hurt small businesses. There is no evidence in graduated income tax states that individual taxpayers will be threatened, or that a graduated income tax will cause frequent tax hikes.

Right wing anti-tax rich people won’t be honest about simply not wanting to pay a modest amount more, so they make up lies about hurting small businesses, the middle/working class (like the people in the anti-tax commercials) and tax hikes at will.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:21 pm
===a Trojan Horse===

And what would be inside that horse?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:22 pm
Income taxes are going up. No more balancing the checkbook with skipped pension payments.

I will vote for the fair tax amendment and let the taxes go up for the next few years on the wealthiest Illinoisans.

Will my bracket get increased SOMEDAY? Maybe, but not for the next several years.

Without the fair tax amendment passing, my income tax rate will go up next year for certain.

Comment by don the legend Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:23 pm
This is an excellent article. Given the history of Illinois politicians and promises on taxes: it’s not unreasonable to think that the top 20% of income earners in Illinois will be asked to pay higher rates than what is being proposed within 48 months.

Comment by Cook County Thinker Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:29 pm
This tax increase solves nothing. Doesn’t even cover the current budget deficit. They will continually define who is ‘rich’ to increase taxes on more and more of the middle class.

Comment by midway gardens Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:40 pm
The Republican Party could have proposed limits or ratios between high and low rates. To example the top rate cannot be more than 3 percentage points more than the bottom rate or the top rate cannot be more than 150% of the bottom rate. This would have made it harder to target specific groups.

They did not choose to do this. I expect them to lose.

If by chance the graduated tax amendment fails, the GA should immediately pass an across the board increase to the highest rate. Soften this for lower income groups by increasing the per person deduction.

This provides needed revenue and lets those who voted no see that they were conned.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:46 pm
“This provides needed revenue and lets those who voted no see that they were conned.”

There’s a TV commercial now saying that either billionaires or “you” will pay more. A tax hike is likely coming one way or another. Too many people oppose deep budget cuts. Those commercials should be coming, showing the devastating effects of deep budget cuts.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:55 pm
I’m with most previous posts and will vote for the fair tax. I saw an anti fair tax TV ad yesterday that stated it’s passage would give lawmakers the ability to raise taxes on anyone, including RETIREES. To my knowledge, that would require a seperate CA. It’s hard to beat a party when they are allowed to advertise false information and a lot of people willingly believe it. THE GOP appears to be evolvling into the expert party of disinformation, IMHO.

Comment by Just A Dude Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:57 pm
Double digit UI and employers cutting salary. Would rather take the 1% increase across the board today than the 3% in 3 - 5 years with lower brackets and a marriage penalty when UI will be single digits and wages are higher. medium - long term middle class gets hit harder if this passes.

Comment by 1st Ward Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 4:59 pm
There was an election in 2017?

Waiting to see how much of Pritzker’s $56,000,000 will be used to counter Griffin’s $20,000,000.

So far, other than a few Facebook ads and some poorly attended zoom calls, not really seeing where that $56mil is going to support a Yes vote.

It’s very clear where Griffin’s $20mil is going. There’s already yard signs saying “Vote No on the Tax Hike” + billboards, TV ads and tons and tons of social media copy-n-paste jobs all promoting the same Republicans lies.

By the way, there’s no way the families with the Vote No signs are bringing in $250k so it wouldn’t be a tax hike for them - but they’re buying what Griffin’s selling.

Comment by The Other Rich Hill Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 5:29 pm
==as happened in 2017 when resignations and voter backlash cleared out the General Assembly==

I know this post is about Fair Tax, but I can’t get past this line. What did I miss in 2017 that “cleared out” the General Assembly? Did voters elect 177 new legislators in 2018? Are there not enough three-term representatives to chair all the House committees? Why didn’t anyone tell me the General Assembly had been cleared out?

Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 5:29 pm
Once I opposed the “fair tax” gibberish (yes, I know the sales pitch, God–or his secular equilevant has stated it enough). Then I realized the beauty of marginal (amendment) vs effective (what govt. want/doesn’t want you to do) tax rates. Frankly, I’m at peace either way.

Comment by DownstateR Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 5:57 pm
== To my knowledge, that would require a seperate CA. ==

No CA required. The retirement exemption is just a State statute; the GA can change it today if they want to. But they won’t; too many angry voters plus one of the increasingly few reasons to stay in Illinois once you retire.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 6:14 pm
It’s without limits so I’m a no vote. The GA has done a poor job over the years with our income tax dollars and I don’t expect it to do any different unless the States bond market dries up completely.
I’m for taxing retirement income above a certain level which would be more fair than the Fair Tax Amendment. The GA could do that now.

Comment by Hickory Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 6:23 pm
Thanks for the info RNUG, I stand corrected: Still the ad suggests/entangles what the GA can now do, (raise the flat tax), and apparently the retirement income tax into this amendment, which really has nothing to do with either. I sure hope it passes, all else goes to the center of the table otherwise.

Comment by Just A Dude Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 6:37 pm
“This tax increase solves nothing.”

What does voting no solve?

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 6:41 pm
I wish my income were large enough for my taxes to increase under the proposed amendment.

Comment by JoanP Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 6:53 pm
If you think in the next 5-10 years(or sooner) that the middle class will not see their rates increase then you haven’t been paying attention to the fact that the tax on only the top 3% will not even cover the current needed expenditures.

Comment by Arock Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 8:10 pm
“Time for the tricklers to pay their fair share…I never thought it was warm rain…like they claimed.”

Not really. We will move away to Florida or another state without an income tax. People in finance or law can easily earn a minimum of a million dollars a year. Why should we stay? Everything is electronic, and we can work anywhere. Sorry to burst your bubble. Those that stay behind are the patsies.

Comment by Free Markets Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 9:05 pm
Free Markets; Why have you not left already to these fine green pastures?

Comment by Just A Dude Thursday, Sep 17, 20 @ 10:27 pm