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In a press briefing yesterday regarding where negotiations stand with CPS on a new contract, CTU Research Director Pavlyn Jankov said that to raise the at least $1 billion a year CPS needs, officials ought to “revisit” the moribund graduated income tax plan. […]

Said [Gov. JB Pritzker] spokesman Alex Gough in an email to Crain’s: “Four years ago, Gov. Pritzker invested more than anyone in the state to enact a fair tax structure in Illinois. The voters made their voices heard on this issue. Since then, the governor has used the available resources to enact balanced and fiscally responsible budgets that make critical investments in support of children and working families across the state.”

A similar statement came from Elizabeth Mitchell, spokeswoman for Senate President Don Harmon. “The Senate president has long supported the (graduated income-tax) idea,” she told Crain’s. “But we all saw the message voters sent four years ago.”

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch declined comment.

The CTU has long been fond of relying on magic beans to balance budgets because they didn’t have to concern themselves with the details of governing. Old habits are hard to break.

* The 2020 Fair Tax constitutional amendment needed to be “approved by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election.” Instead, it got thumped 53-47. The “Yes” votes totaled just 45 percent of all those voting.

Also, even if attitudes change, it would be another two years before another constitutional question could be placed on the ballot.

…Adding… A commenter makes a very good point. If this survives all odds and somehow makes it onto the ballot, and it’s then positioned as a windfall for CPS, it’ll do even worse next time.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:15 pm

Comments

I wonder how much CTU worked and spent on the Fair Tax Amendment. I assume they didn’t spend on it because everyone assumed Pritzker would just bankroll that effort, but getting full CTU support on that would have been helpful for both parties.

Comment by ElTacoBandito Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:29 pm
There are still too many progressives I run into who seem to think “Third time is totally the charm” when I mention both the graduated income tax and Bring Chicago home graduated real estate tax failed at the ballot box.

But I certainly welcome them to put a measure like those on a ballot again in next 2-3 years. Keep them busy.

Comment by ChicagoBars Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:29 pm
===I wonder how much CTU worked===

They did work it. One example: https://x.com/CTULocal1/status/1311360625440948230

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:32 pm
The 2020 fair tax was projected to raise an additional $3 billion per year. Why would the state give one-third of that windfall to just one poorly run entity aligned with an organization detached from reality?

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:38 pm
I’m as pro-union a person as you’ll find but I never considered the CTU backed school board candidate in my district because they’ve lost their collective minds and no longer live in political or governing reality.

Comment by Former Downstater Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:41 pm
=“But we all saw the message voters sent four years ago.”=

Perhaps, but it wasn’t positioned as a CPS bailout. That could be a real game changer. /s

CPS and the CTU are going to have to accept the reality that the state, and by extension statewide taxpayers, have no interest in funding their poor decision making and mismanagement.

To the extent they feel they’re owed they’ll need to have the property tax payers of Chicago pick up the tab and deal with whatever consequences may come of that.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:49 pm
===That could be a real game changer===

Ha! Very true.

Not sure it would reach 40.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 1:59 pm
Why don’t CTU/IFT and IEA run a proposal by their members to start paying taxes on their retirement income? That could help fund schools sn/

Comment by Frida's Boss Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 3:37 pm
So they want to move to a graduated tax AND set aside $1 billion of the funds raised by that to CPS.

Even if we did try again to push through a graduated income tax it would be a few years before it could be implemented so that still doesn’t help them right now.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 3:40 pm
=Even if we did try again to push through a graduated income tax it would be a few years before it could be implemented so that still doesn’t help them right now.=

They’re already planning on taking out a payday loan, without the payday.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 4:38 pm
The interest rate on a $1b magic bean loan must be outrageous

Comment by Two Left Feet Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 5:08 pm
“they’ll need to have the property tax payers of Chicago pick up the tab and deal with whatever consequences may come of that”

Pat Quinn may have been a lot of things, including anti-union in stripping pensions and deserving of the loss to Rauner, but he was no coward when it came to raising the state income tax. Tough choices for Mayor Johnson and his allies. /s

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 5:27 pm
==but he was no coward when it came to raising the state income tax.==

Temporarily.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Oct 24, 24 @ 5:59 pm
It’s wild to me that the majority of people decided to protect the top 10% on this. IL can’t make the pension payments demanded by the Edgar ramp without more revenue. A graduated income tax would allow legislators to target most of that additional revenue at those most able to afford it. Instead we’re going to get more can kicking until legislators have no choice but to raise taxes on anyone. It’s just so incredibly short sighted and petty.

Comment by Perrid Friday, Oct 25, 24 @ 5:58 am