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* JB Pritzker is on a three-day “Unite for the Middle Class” tour. He stopped in Rockford and East Moline yesterday…
As governor, Mr. Pritzker said he also will work to pass a capital bill to fund infrastructure across the state.
“Illinois has gone almost a decade without infrastructure investment,” Mr. Pritzker said. “It’s past time we had a capital bill in the state and we built up our infrastructure again. We are the supply-chain hub of the nation. We can only maintain that status if we invest in our roads, bridges and waterways.
“We are going to continue to build on that when I’m governor. We’ve got to have a capital bill that’s going to rebuild our infrastructure to a place where people want to come back to Illinois and build up jobs.”
* I asked the Pritzker campaign how he intends to pay for his plan. I was referred to Pritzker’s website where I found this…
My plan will leverage as much federal money as possible to bring significant investment to our surface, rail, water, broadband and community infrastructure. It is time to imagine what Illinois can be in the 21st century and get this done.
Um, isn’t President Trump demanding an 80 percent state and local match for his mythical infrastructure plan?
* So, I suppose it’s back to Pritzker’s only revenue proposal: a progressive income tax. Considering all the spending promises he’s making, that’ll have to be huge.
Candidate Rauner touted his support of infrastructure spending without identifying a funding source. And Gov. Rauner has since talked often about passing a capital bill and hasn’t really ever said how he’ll pay for it.
George Ryan promised he’d do a capital bill without a tax hike during his campaign. He passed a capital bill, but he paid for it by hiking liquor taxes and vehicle license fees. Gov. Quinn passed a capital bill not long after being sworn into office, and taxes were imposed on candy to pay for part of that program.
Putting a progressive income tax on the ballot is not going to be easy because of GOP opposition and some Democratic reluctance. Passing it won’t be a simple matter, either. Infrastructure upgrades cost real money. And they have to be paid for with real money. Magic fairy dust doesn’t actually exist. /rant
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 1:51 pm
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And winning campaigns don’t seem to exist without magic fair dust.
Comment by Concerned Dem Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 1:56 pm
Legalize pot on the CO model and implement a real progressive income tax, plus an overhaul of corporate taxes.
That’s a start.
But even if he does a fraction of that, he’ll be far ahead of the disaster currently in the job and his two predecessors.
Comment by Blue Bayou Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 1:58 pm
JB thinks he will get more Federal money by relentlessly bashing President Trump.
He is not selective in his outrage on issues, it is universal.
You catch more files with honey than vinegar JB.
I think we need a JB o meter to follow him around that adds up all of the new spending he has proposed on top of the increased pension payments Illinois will be making
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 1:58 pm
===You catch more files with honey than vinegar JB.===
Dude, you are just about the least self-aware person I’ve ever encountered.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:00 pm
===You catch more files with honey than vinegar===
When will Rauner come out and support Trump?
===You catch more files with honey than vinegar===
… so calling Dems corrupt… is that bitter honey or sweet vinegar?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:02 pm
===You catch more files with honey than vinegar JB.===
I learned a while back that this isn’t actually true; you catch more flies with vinegar than with honey. Wild, right?
Comment by Chris Widger Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:12 pm
You can’t count on the federales. They’re blowing up the deficit in a low unemployment economy.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:15 pm
Reminds me of Blago: lots of great spending without any new taxes on “real” people.
Comment by Just Me Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:25 pm
@wordslinger: Well, just over half of them are, anyway…
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:26 pm
JB’s plan sounds more like a pyramid scheme.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:46 pm
Everyone knows the roads are terrible in Illinois. Don’t tell us the problem, tell us the solution. The only way you get improvements is to pay for them. The idea of saying we will work that out later, is a cop out We all know it will be expensive, go come up with real ideas on how it can be paid for. Rich is right Pixie Dust won’t pay the bills.
Comment by Retired Educator Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:47 pm
Remembering back to the Chicago Tonight debate, Pritzker (all candidates) kept their hands down when asked if they supported raising the gas tax. Everyone (state and federal) seems against this user-pays model labeling it either regressive or a tax increase.
Comment by Pothole Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:50 pm
The only thing worse than not having a Capital Bill is saying you’ll somehow “leverage as much federal money as possible” to pay for it.
Comment by Soapbox Derby Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:56 pm
Rich,
I don’t know that a progressive income tax flies as a revenue source for capital. I think you need a dedicated revenue stream.
I do agree he needs a plan, I would be hesitant to spell out the revenue source too early, for a lot of reasons. First, the legislature is gonna have a lot of say in where the money comes from. Probably no one has more strong opinions about that than President Cullerton. He led on the candy tax, cigarette taxes, etc.
Secondly, the sooner you say where you want the money to come fom, the sooner the opposition gets organizing to kill it.
revis always the politics of it. Consumer taxes in particula aint popular.
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 3:04 pm
Just keep running on the fact that he’s not Rauner and believes that state bills should be paid within 90 days.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 3:43 pm
Legalization of marijuana may come sooner than we think. The government will rely on the revenue. I never understood why fireworks are not legal to sell here, and Indiana gets that revenue.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 3:49 pm
The fundamental problems of fiscal mismanagement continue to be ignored by this campaign. The focus instead appears to be on the idea of investment to revitalize the state. But that is such nonsense if fiscal issues are going to be ignored at the cost. It’s appearing to be more of the same policies and attitudes that got us into this mess in the first place.
Comment by People Over Parties Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 3:59 pm